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NORWEGIAN AND LAPLAND TALE. 


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BAYARD TAYLOR’S 

VISIT TO THE AUTHOR OF “AFRAJA.” 

Bayard Taylor, writing from Berlin to the New York Tribune, 
gives the following account of his visit to the author of 

“AFRAJA”: 

“I -was fortunate in having a letter to Theodore Miigge, the author of ‘Afraja,’ and 
‘ Eric Randal.’ When I called at his residence, according to a previous appointment, a 
pretty little girl, of seven or eight years old, opened the door. * Is Herr Dr. Miigge at 
home?’ I asked. She went to an adjacent door, and cried out: ‘Father, are you at 
home ?’ ‘Jd xvolilj answered a sturdy voice ; and presently a tall, broad-shouldered, 
and rather handsome man of over forty years, made his appearance. He wore a thick, 
brown beard, spectacles, was a little bald about the temples, and spoke with a decided 
North-German accent. His manner at first was marked with more reserve than is 
common among Germans ; but I had the pleasure of meeting him more than once, and 
found that the outer shell covered a kernel of good humor and good feeling. 

“ Like many other authors, Miigge has received hardly as much honor in his own 
country as he deserves. His ‘Afraja,’ one of the most remarJcaljle romances of this gene- 
ration , is just beginning to be read and valued. He was entirely unacquainted with 
the fact that it had been translated in America, where five or six editions were sold in 
a very few months. I could give him no better evidence of its Success than the expe- 
rience of a friend of mine, who was carried thirteen miles past his home, on a New 
Haven railroad train, while absorbed in its pages. lie informed me that the idea of 
the story was suggested to him during his residence at Tromsoe, on the Norwegian 
coast, where, among some musty official records, he found the minutes of the last trial 
and execution of a Lapp for witchcraft, about a century ago. This Lapp, who was a 
sort of chieftain in his clan, had been applied to by some Danish traders to furnish 
them with good wind during their voyage. He sold them breezes from the right 
quarter, but the vessel was wrecked, and all hands drowned. When asked, during his 
trial,, whether he had not furnished a bad instead of a good wind, he answered, 
haughtily: ‘Yes, I 6old them the bad wind, because I hated them, as I hate you, and 
all the brood of thieves who have robbed me and my people of our land.’ I referred to 
the character of Niels Helgestad, and spoke of his strong resemblance, in many 
respects, to one of our Yankee traders of the harder and coarser kind, ajjigge assured 
me that I would find many of the same type still existing, when I should visit the 
Loffoden Islel. He spent a summer among the scenes described in ‘Afraja,’ and his 
descriptions are so remarkably faithful, that Alexander Ziegler used the book as hia 
best guide in going over the same ground this year.” 

\\ 


LIFE AND LOVE 




I N 




NORWAY: 




drfo*pau auto Saplaift Sab. 


) 


PROM THE GERMAN 


O F 




THEODORE IVf U G- OE,;' OF 

copyright'^. 




B Y 


EDWARD JOY MORRIS, ; . c*. 


o 


AUTHOR OF NOTES OF A TOUR THROUGH TURKEY, GREECE, EGYPT, ARABIA, AC/,” “ TIIR 
TURKISH EMPIRE, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ; n AC., AC., AC. 


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Si xthi <8fciti0n. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

LINDSAY & BLAKISTON. 

18 5 8 . 



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Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1854, by LINDSAY & 
BLAKISTON, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 

Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1858, by LINDSAY & 
BLAKISTON, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 


STEREOTYPED BY J. FAGAN. 


PRINTED BY C. SHERMAN. 


PREFACE 


BY THE TRANSLATOR. 


The following romance is the production of one of 
the most distinguished writers of fiction in Germany. 
It was published in the spring of the present year, and 
was received with the most cordial approbation by the 
critical press, as well as by the reading public. 

Robert Prutz, a high authority in belle lettre criti- 
cism, at the conclusion of an extended review of Ger- 
man literature in the Morgenblatt , says : “ This popular 
writer has again displayed his genius in a graphic and 
interesting narration of entirely new and attractive 
scenes. His romance introduces us to a region with 
which he is thoroughly acquainted from personal ob- 
servation, but which is a rare and almost untrodden 
field of fiction — the remote neighborhood of the North 
Pole, and those icy, desert steppes, where the Lap- 
lander pursues his wandering life of privation and 
suffering. His life-like descriptions of the maimers 
and customs of this curious people, and the Norwegian 
settlers on the coasts, are drawn with such power as 
to awaken the keenest interest in his brilliant story, 
and to keep the attention of the reader intensely ex- 
cited from the first to the last page. The characters 

(hi) 


viir 


PREFACE. 


are portrayed with a rare skill and fidelity to nature, 
and the whole composition cannot fail to augment the 
reputation of the author, and to place him in the front 
rank of German historical novelists.’^ 

The reader will discover, in his perusal of this beau- 
tiful work of genius, that this praise is fully merited ; 
and he will not fail to remark the high moral tone 
and pure sentiment which pervades the whole compo- 
sition — the more striking from its contrast with the 
depraved taste and corrupting influence of so many 
of the works of fiction of the present day. It is la- 
mentable to witness the growing depravity of this 
department of literature, and the unholy zeal with 
which great talents are prostituted to the inculcation 
of false views of life and duty, and the diffusion of 
immoral principles. The success of Afraja, however, 
in Germany, has demonstrated that the public mind 
has not lost its partiality for those who seek to refine 
and elevate the imagination, and to base their hopes 
of success on an appeal to the higher feelings of our 
nature. 

The aim of the translator has been to faithfully 
render the original into our own tongue ; and if, not- 
withstanding the inherent difficulties of the undertak- 
ing, from the peculiarly idiomatic style of the author, 
he shall have succeeded, he will have accomplished 
the grateful task of extending the reputation of a 
writer of no common order of intellect. 


E. J. M. 


LIFE AND LOVE 


IN 

NORWAY. 


FIRST PART. 

ORIGIN OF NORWAY. 

In the remote north of Europe a legend is current that God, 
when he had created the world, and was reposing from his labors, 
was suddenly aroused from his meditation by the fall of a mon- 
strous mass in the abyss of waters. The Creator, as he looked 
up, perceived the devil, who had seized a prodigious mass of 
rock, which he had hurled into the deep, so that the axis of the 
new creation, trembling under the weight, threatened to break, 
and yet wavers, and will to all eternity. The Lord preserved 
his work from entire destruction by his mighty power. With 
one hand he sustained it, and with the other he threatened the 
base fiend, who, howling with fear, took to flight; but every- 
where the fearful pile of rock rose above the waters. High 
and gloomily it projected out of the swelling flood to the clouds; 
jagged, wild, and shattered, its naked sides sank into the un- 
fathomable depths, and filled the sea with innumerable cliffs 
2 ( 13 ) 


14 


AFR A J A. 


and peaks for many miles. The Maker cast a look of sadness 
and pity upon this waste, and then took he what remained of 
fruitful earth, and strewed it over the black rocks. But, alas ! 
it was too sparse to be of much avail. The ground was scarcely 
covered in the clefts and hollows, and only in a few spots was 
sufficient deposited to nourish fruit-trees and ripen seeds. The 
farther to the north, the scantier was the gift, until at last none 
remained, and the devil’s work rested under the curse of eternal 
barrenness. But God stretched out his omnipotent hand, and 
blessed the desolate earth. u Although no flower shall here 
bloom,” said the Almighty, “ no bird sing, and no blade of grass 
grow, yet the wicked spirit shall have no share in thee. I will 
have compassion on thee, and suffer men here to dwell, who, 
with love and affection shall cling to these rocks, and be happy 
in their possession.” Then the Lord commanded the fish to 
frequent the sea in vast swarms, and above, on the ice-fields, he 
placed a wonderful creature, half cow, half deer, which was to 
nourish man with milk, butter, and flesh, and clothe him with 
its furry skin. 

Thus, according to the saga, originated Norway. For this 
reason is the sea, on its wild coasts, animated by such multitudes 
of the finny tribes, and the reindeer found on its deserts of ice 
and snow, without whose help no human being could live there. 
What a world of horror and silence there lies concealed ! With 
what awe trembles the heart of the solitary traveller when he 
wanders among the desert fiords and sounds, where the sea, in 
labyrinthine folds, loses itself between gloomy, snow-crowned 
rocks, in inaccessible gulfs and caverns ! With what astonish- 
ment he beholds his ship gliding through this immensity of 
cliffs, gigantic rocks, and black granite walls, which wind, as a 


A F 11 A J A . 


15 


girdle, for more than three hundred miles around the stony 
breast of Norway ! 

Man is but sparsely distributed over thd neglected land. Over 
rocks and swamps must he wander, eternally roving with the 
reindeer, which nourishes him ; in coves and inlets on the sea- 
shore he lives, solitary and secluded, and, with extreme toil and 
trouble supplies himself with fish. The land, however, can 
never become the fixed abode of any one. Deep lies it under 
swamp and ice, buried in cloud and darkness, without trees or 
fields, the hut of the peasant, or the lowing of cattle, and 
the genial blessings which spring from the industry of man, and 
social intercourse. 

Such is the aspect that this region presents when a ship leaves 
the harbor of Trondheim, and, steering northwardly, pushes 
through the fiords and sounds. Behind, the coast rises in bold 
precipices; the fertile spots gradually disappear, and wilder, 
more naked rocks stretch to the desolate wastes, until the in- 
surmountable glaciers of Helgeland mark the limits of human 
habitations. Human life withdraws into the bays and inlets. 
There dwells the merchant and the fisherman of Norman blood, 
and near them Danes and Laplanders are settled. The Lap- 
lander drives his antlered milch-cow over the snowy mountains* 
and the report of his gun, as he hunts the bear and the wolf, 
is echoed back from the dark sea-caverns. Wilder and more 
desolate grows the scene with every new morning. For miles 
no house is to be seen, and no sail or fishing-boat breaks the 
dismal monotony. Dolphins sportively gambol around the bows 
of the ship, and the whale spurts the water into the air; flocks 
of sea-gulls hover over, and dive upon the moving shoals of 
herrings; divers and auks spring from the rocks, the eider- 


1G 


AFRA J A. 


duck flutters over tlie foaming billows, and liigli in the 
clear, sharp air, the eagle pair circle around their rocky 
nest. 

At last, winding around a thousand rocky capes, in the midst 
of this ocean labyrinth, you see the house of a trader upon the 
declivity of a birch-wooded promontory. There are his ware- 
houses, his vessels, and his boats ; there rises the smoke of some 
ten scattered fishermen’s huts among the cliffs, and between 
them lies a narrow strip of green meadow, through which a 
brawling brook rushes to the sea. A few minutes more, and 
all has disappeared. Again the rocky desert meets the eye ; 
again the same sounds surround the ship, and the same deep 
and unruffled mirror of water reflects the passing sail; and, 
from the deep ravines the wind rushes out with the fury of a 
wild beast. Here begins our story. 


LIFE AND LOVE 

IN 

NORWAY. 


CHAPTER I. 

Something more than a hundred years ago, on a dark 
morning in March, a large vessel was steering through these 
wondrous mazes of rock. She was a Norwegian craft of the 
stoutest build, such as at this day set out from the northern- 
most cape for Bergen and intervening ports, twice a summer, 
to supply the merchants with fish and train oil ; and when fully 
laden with articles of food and merchandise, return to their 
sea-encompassed havens. A stumped mast rose from the middle 
of the vessel; forward, the bow shot up to a remarkable height; 
and near the stern stood an elevated poop-cabin, where the edge 
of the square sail was made fast to strong posts and iron rings. 
As the day advanced, the cold, grey fog lifted up, and a faint, 
quickly-expiring sunbeam flashed over the mountain coasts, and 
the glaciers which crown their summits. Curiously-scarred 
ranges of rocks loomed up from the sea, against which the 
resounding waves broke in sheets of foam. Wind squalls 
rushed down from the lofty heights, or from the dark mist 
which enveloped the fiords, lashing the sea into a wild fury, 
throwing the deeply-laden vessel upon her side, and causing her 
to tremble, from the force of the replicated blows, in every 
timber. 

2 * 


B 


( 17 ) 


18 


AFRAJA. 


A young man stood at the helm of this huge vessel, whose 
clear blue eyes were anxiously scanning the reefs and rocks, 
through the devious windings of which the ship urged her 
way. His nervous hands held the rudder with a firm grasp, 
against which his strong body gently leaned, and with a steady 
countenance and observing gaze, he directed the course of the 
vessel with such masterly skill, that she appeared to obey every 
nod and word of command. From time to time, the helmsman 
stretched forward to penetrate with his searching look into the 
distance ; and his sharp-cut features, glowing with fresh color, 
beamed with excitement. His muscles seemed to expand to 
their utmost tension; he stroked back his long floating hair 
under his glazed hat, and gazing joyously upon the reefs and 
ridges as old acquaintances, he began to hum a song. As he 
had finished the fifth or sixth verse, the cabin door opened, and 
another tenant of the vessel stepped out on the deck. A few 
years older than the helmsman, he was also an entirely different 
person. Instead of a dark fisherman’s jacket, or a rough south- 
wester, he wore a long many-buttoned coat. His hair was 
combed back, and bound with a ribbon ; slender, and tall of 
stature, he appeared, in his manners and figure, to be a man 
of the world, and to belong to the privileged class who lay 
claim to the productions of the earth as their exclusive pro- 
perty. Such he was, in fact. He was the young lord of Mar- 
strand, the scion of a noble house; the estate of which had 
been sadly impaired by the lavish expense and liberal hospitality 
of his father and grandfather at the court of Christian the 
Sixth, in Copenhagen. His father, the chamberlain, died in 
debt; and here, his son, gentleman of the bed-chamber, and 
lieutenant of the guards, was voyaging through the wild Polar 
sea in the yacht of a trader, who lived upon the extreme limits 
of Finnmark, and whose heir, Bjornarne Ilelgestad, was stand- 
ing at the helm. The ship had sailed from Trondheim in the 
spring, to bring salt and provisions to Lofodden, where the 
great fishery was in full operation; the young Baron was 


AF11AJA. 


19 


received as a passenger — and in liis pocket lie carried a dona- 
tion deed of the King, conferring upon him a broad tract of 
land, extending into the boundless desert on the northernmost 
confines of Europe, where there is neither lord nor serf. 

It was with no friendly glance that John of Marstrand 
looked upon the savage coasts, and the foaming sea, as he 
stepped out of the cabin. The damp fog flew so violently about 
him, and beat in such heavy drops upon his face and clothes, 
that he shuddered with cold, and closely buttoned up his coat ; 
then he nodded to the helmsman, who, to the salutations of the 
morning, added some good-natured remark, which the wind 
carried away before it could reach the ear. 

“ What do you think now of this country ?” said the helms- 
man, witli a proud, inquiring glance, as the young nobleman 
approached him. “ Is it not magnificent ? See, there is the 
promontory of Kunnen, and directly beyond sweeps the polar 
circle; farther to the left, in the deep Grimmfiord, you can 
perceive the gigantic Jokuln islands, which, in ice-pyramids, 
seemed to run far down into the sea. When the morning 
sunbeams strike upon them, they glow^ like molten silver. 
There is the way to the Salten — you have certainly heard of 
the salt stream ? And here, on this side of those low rocks, 
you will soon discover the Westfiord. The Westfiord ! Do 
you hear, man? the great fiord with its fishes! Hurrah ! What 
say you ? Have you ever seen anything so beautiful ?” 

“ Foolish Bjornarne !” exclaimed John, with a jesting smile; 
“ you seem to think we are entering into paradise. You talk 
as if these gloomy, snow-covered' crags bloomed with almond 
trees; as if this stormy, icy sea was fanned by the softest 
zephyrs, and its miserable, oil-reeking fish swarms were fragrant 
with perfume.” He turned to the south, and continued, with 
a suppressed sigh, “No tree, no bush, no flower, no green leaf, 
no singing-bird, nor blade of grass waving to the breeze. 
Nothing but horror, darkness, fog, storms, rocks, and the 
raging sea.” 


20 


AFRAJA. 


“ If the land is so displeasing to you, you had better have 
remained where you were.” 

The young Dane looked upon the helmsman, and the expres- 
sion of his countenance revealed the answer which he gently 
murmured. “ If,” whispered he, between his teeth, “ I were 
not obliged to seek my fortune in these wilds, cursed would be 
the plank which carried me hither.” 

His melancholy silence, and the manner in which he buried 
his face in his hands, moved the boasting Bjbrnarne. “ You 
must not,” said he, “ give yourself up to such sad thoughts — 
it is not so dreary here as it seems. When the summer comes, 
the barley ripens even in Tromsoe ; flowers bloom in the gardens ; 
currants and blackberries grow luxuriantly in all the clefts and 
ravines; and upon the fielders the mountain bramble covers 
the earth for miles with purple and scarlet. You must learn to 
know and love the land where you have chosen to dwell. I 
would not change it for any other in the world ; for there is 
none more beautiful or better to be found.” 

Provoked by the derisive smile of the Dane, he proudly 
proceeded; “ Boast, as you please, of your trees and plains. 
Have you such rocks, such fiords, and such a prolific sea? 
Have you bears and reindeers to hunt ? Have you a fishery 
like this, where, with every haul of the seine, millions of crea- 
tures are drawn from the deep ; where twenty thousand men, 
for months, lead a joyous life upon the heaving billows.” 

“No, good Bjbrnarne, we do not, indeed, possess all this,” 
replied John of Marstrand, with a depreciating sneer. 

“You shall see it,” exclaimed the Norman, joyfully. “ The 
fog is falling, and if you could hear, you would already now in 
the roar of the waves understand the strange sound which 
rushes through the Westfiord. There, before us, lies Ostvaa- 
goen ; here is the old wife of Salten, and over there the old 
man with the white head. There, now you catch a glimpse of 
his hat. There rise the peaks of Hindoen, there gleam the 
glaciers of Tjclloen, and now comes the sun; look up !” 


A F RAJ A. 


21 


And, as he spoke, the illuminating orb triumphantly broke- 
through the thick veil of cloud, and, as with a magic spell, lit 
up a countless array of islands, rocks, and gulfs. The West- 
fiord opened before the astonished vision of the Dane, and 
exhibited land and sea in all their glory and splendor. Upon 
one side lay the coast of Norway, with its snowy summits. 
Salten loomed up behind, with its needle-like peaks, stretching 
with their inaccessible ice-covered declivities into the heavens, 
and its ravines and abysses half concealed in gloom. Upon the 
other side, six miles to the seaward of the Westfiord, extended a 
chain of dark islands far into the bosom of the ocean — a granite wall 
against which the ocean, in its most savage fury, for thousands 
of years had dashed its billows. Innumerable perpendicular 
pinnacles rose from this insular labyrinth — black, weather- 
beaten, and torn to their base by the tempests. Their bold 
summits were veiled by long lines of clouds, and from the 
gleaming beds of snow, the wondering blue eyes of Jokuln 
turned to the swelling floods of the fiord, which, with their 
thousand white teeth, bit the bow of the yacht, shook it like a 
reed, and drew it into the abyss. 

11 Look there, now, how beautiful it is !” cried Bjornarne, 
with a shout. “ There are the Lofodden islands. For twenty 
miles the view extends over land and sea, and all is grand and 
glorious. See the grey head of Yaagoen, how it beams in gold. 
Look how the old woman of Salten nods to him, in her ruddy 
black mantle. Once they were two giants, children of night, 
a loving pair, who have here been transformed into rock, and 
must eternally remain such. Observe how the breakers leap 
against the rocks, in silvery columns; and see the vast circle of 
cliffs, whose extent no one has measured, upon which no human 
foot has ever trod, and where only the eagle, the cormorant, the 
falcon, and the gull have mounted. See the red-crested sTcarfe 
there on the crags, and the sea-geese, how they plunge into the 
green waves, followed by screaming flocks of gulls and falcons. 
Thither the herring shoals are attracted by the scent of prey. 


22 


A F It A J A . 


Above, the 7 sky is clear and tranquil ; and the fresh, sparkling air 
awakens all the energies. Is not all this beautiful, and is it not 
the most sublime spectacle that the human eye can behold ?” 

“ Yes, it is infinitely grand !” said John Marstrand, ravished 
by the wonderful grandeur and wildness of the scene. 

“But the finest of all you do not yet know,” continued 
Bjornarne. “ Bo you see there, those many black dots upon 
the surface of the water ? Those are the fishing-boats. Three 
thousand boats, with twenty thousand stout-hearted men ) and 
in the gulf of Vaagoen you can already distinguish the flags 
and masts of the vessels which bring salt for the packing of 
the fish, and merchandize for the traders. They are filled with 
all kinds of provisions and stuffs. We shall there find my 
father, who has twenty boats under his charge. I am sure he 
will please you, and he will gladly serve you to the best of his 
ability.” 

“I have a letter for him,” said the passenger, “from the 
commanding General Miinte, in Trondheim.” 

“You would be welcome, without the recommendatory 
letter,” returned Bjornarne, laughing. “At Lyngenfiord, 
where is our house, but little question is made of your general. 
You come with me, because you please me, John Marstrand. 
You are a true fellow, know the value of words, and how to use 
them, and your arm is ever ready to render aid ; these qualities 
are appreciated with us, and therefore will I be your friend.” 
He lifted his hand from the helm, and seized in earnest grasp 
that of the nobleman, who responded with an equally friendly 
pressure. Alone in a strange region, the rough heartiness of 
his new friend gratified him more than the formal expressions 
of polite society, which he had so often heard. He knew that 
Bjornarne was incapable of falsehood, that he bore him a true 
affection ; and he was certain that, in the hour of need, he could 
rely upon him. For his future, this was of great importance. 

During the interchange of these confidential expressions, the 
vessel had crossed the fiord, and rapidly approached Ostvaa- 


AFR A JA. 


23 


gen and the fishing-grounds. The small black points floating 
on the sea gradually enlarged, until finally they came clearly 
into view, as heavy six-oared boats, in which an incessant 
activity prevailed. The figures of the fishermen, as they raised 
their nets and rods, the tremble of the sun’s rays upon their 
leather caps and sea-soaked jackets, the yawls moving about in 
all directions, and the thousand-voiced tumult, rising above the 
roar of the waves, united to form an animated picture which 
yet higher excited the feelings of MarstrancL He felt a longing 
to mingle in this motley throng ; in his enthusiasm he forgot 
that, in spite of the sunshine, ice-cold gusts, plunging down 
from the Salten and the Tinden, sweep the sea; and that here, 
in the Polar zone, within a few minutes, the wildest winter- 
storm bursts, and with its terrors envelopes land and ocean. At 
present he thought only of the mirthful fishing uproar, which 
mocked these horrors. He saw only the fluttering flags on the 
vessels, and the houses and huts on the rocks and strand, and 
it seemed to him as if a festival of spring was being celebrated, 
as he heard the trumpeting and fiddling on the peaks of the grey 
head of Vaagoen. He shouted for joy, as he saw a genuine Nord- 
lander draw his net, with a ringed cod in every mesh. He 
waved his hat, as all did, as the vessel urged her way among the 
fishing smacks, and, surrounded by an hundred boats, whose crews 
shouted a hearty welcome, steered around the rocks, and to the 
harbor of the bay, where a number of large and small craft lay 
at anchor. Some time elapsed before a suitable position could 
be found in the line of vessels; but at last the cable rolled 
through the hawser-holes, and the “fair Ilda of Oerenaes” was 
secured by the long cables, and wearily shook off the drops 
which hung upon her bows and bulwarks. 

Bjornarne had his hands full, and it was some time before he 
could trouble himself about his passenger, who, from the 
quarter-deck, was attentively regarding the taking of fish, 
which, in all its details, was passing before his eyes. At the 
entrance of the bay, around an island of bare rock, called 


24 


AFRAJA. 


’Skraaven, it was pursued with the most activity. Five or six 
hundred boats, with three or four thousand fishermen, were 
there engaged in fishing. The nets were incessantly cast and 
drawn, with song and shout ; for all were overladen with fish, 
and great care was observed in extricating them from the 
meshes, to prevent the laceration of the threads. At many 
other spots there were immense cables, to which more than a 
thousand angling rods were fastened ; for the angle was more 
in use then than at present. The fishermen next hurried with 
their full boats into the bay, where, upon the rocks, scaffolds 
of poles, and tables fo'r-the disembowelling of the fish, and huts 
for shelter and rest were erected. The fish were brought hither 
from the boats, seized by blood-red hands, and thrown upon the 
tables. Sharp knives opened the body, with a grip of the finger 
the entrails were extracted, and, with a second cut, the head 
flew off into one tub, and the oily liver into another. The other 
parts were cast upon a nauseous heap of blood and viscera, and 
what a moment before was a living creature, hung, severed; dnd 
shaking in the wind, upon the drying-stand. The men pursued 
their murderous occupation with incredible dexterity and quick- 
ness. The lust of slaughter glowed in their eyes. They held 
the bloody knife between the teeth, whilst their hands were 
plunged in the belly of the dying creature, and, in their en- 
thusiasm, they bit the unctuously fat livers, when they appeared 
unusually white and dainty. With naked arms, and broad, 
open bosoms, spattered with blood, they looked like cannibals 
celebrating a horrid feast of triumph. They greedily sought 
for the largest and stoutest victims, exercised upon them their 
executioner’s office with double zest, and made merry with the 
sufferings and violent struggles of the unfortunate wretches. 
Marstrand soon felt a disgust for this monotonous slaughter. 
He turned away, saying to himself “It is a cruel, cowardly 
torture — I will see no more of it. For this, twenty thousand 
men are attracted to these naked rocks ; for this, they shout 
and yell like persons possessed, despite the storms of the polar 


A FRA J A. 


25 

sea. What a rude, coarse people — what an absence of humane 
sensations ! No,” continued he, “ most of them would remain 
at home, were they not driven by necessity to these latitudes. 
And does not want also drive me into this land of ice and 
mountain ?” said he, musingly. “ But fish I cannot catch — 
accursed be this filthy, bloody business ! A pestilential smell 
is wafted hither from the fishing-banks ; and these heaps of 
entrails, these tubs of train-oil and livers, these bloody heads, 
these wild, screaming flocks of birds, seeking their share of the 
prey, those dirty, oil-reeking men there ; the one is as disgust- 
ing and horrible as the other ” 

Bjornarne clapped him on the shoulder, and exclaimed in his 
loud tones, “You must not meditate so much, friend John; 
you must be brisk and gay, for here every one is in good- 
humor. The whole year through, young and old, rejoice for 
the fishing at Lofodden; and no man in all Nordland hires 
himself oait, without making it a condition that he shall join 
the expedition to the islands. How do you like it ?” 

“ Better at a distance, than near at hand,” replied Marstrand, 
with a smile. 

“ You are no Norman,” said Bjornarne, “ otherwise you 
would not speak so; but wait, you will soon change your 
opinion. I am as glad as if all the fish in Westfiord belonged 
to me. My sister has come with my father.* See you yonder 
boat. There they are.” He drew Marstrand away with him, 
and at that moment the boat touched the vessel, from which a 
rope-ladder was thrown over, which the sea swayed about as it 
rose and fell. A robust man, in a blue fisherman’s coat, with 
a leather cape thrown over his shoulders, lifted up a young girl 
on the seat before him, whose dark blonde hair escaped in 
flowing tresses from beneath a gaily-striped fishing-hat. 

“Take’ firm hold of the ladder, Ilda,” said the old man. 

In the next moment the young girl stood upon the steps, 
and carefully climbing upward, as soon as she set foot on the 
deck, grasped her brother with both hands. 

8 


/ 


26 


APRAJA. 


“ Are you not surprised to see me, Bjdrnarne ?” said she, in 
a friendly tone. 

u God’s joy be with you, Ilda !” he tenderly replied. u Have 
you had a good voyage ?” 

“ A fortunate voyage, Bjornarne; I hope yours has been as 
happy?” 

“ Perfectly so ; and how goes the fishing ?” 

u Wonderfully well, Bjdrnarne. All the scaffolds are full. 
Yesterday was such a day as rarely happens, old people say. 
Fat, huge fish that tore the nets. It is a rare pleasure, Bjdr- 
narne; I am never tired of seeing and hearing. Father’s 
vessels are filled, all the casks are full of liver oil, and the fish 
are extraordinarily fat. It will be a good year, Bjdrnarne; a 
good voyage to Bergen ; full vessels.” 

Here she looked around, and her laughing face suddenly 
assumed a graver aspect, as her glance lighted on the stranger. 
She was a tall, stout damsel, firmly set, of the true Norman 
stock, with a strong resemblance to her brother. The same 
strongly-marked features, the same broad brow, and clear, 
beaming eyes; but all was so firmly stamped, and so fully 
formed, that the absence of soft, feminine traits could easily 
offend a spoilecl,~e^e. So it was with John Marstrand. He 
could hardly suppress a laugh of derision, as he looked upon 
her, and remembered with what eloquent boasting Bjdrnarne 
had praised this sister, in honor of whose charms the yacht had 
been christened with the name of “ the fair Ilda of Oerenaes.” 

“ A beauty born under the sixty-ninth degree of north lati- 
tude, among whales, cod-fish, and reindeer, can indeed vary a 
little from our standard,” said he, in an undertone, “ but this 
one here, in her neats’-leather shoes, her green, red-trimmed 
, frieze gown, her fur-jacket, and leather apron, with white 
woollen gloves upon her coarse hands, appears too bear-like, and 
polar-proportioned.” 

While he made this observation to himself, Bjdrnarne 
whispered something to his sister, and then said aloud : “ I 


A F It A J A . 


27 


have brought a friend with me, Ilda, who will dwell with us. 
John Marstrand is his name, and this is he. Give him your 
hand, sister.” 

The young girl mistrustfully examined the stranger with her 
bright eyes, and then, in obedience to the request of her 
brother, extended him her hand 3 in her strong-toned voice, 
saying, “ You are welcome, sir, to the country. God’s peace 
be with you !” 

u Many thanks, Miss Ilda,” replied Marstrand, courteously ; 
“ your wish is the kindest that can be made.” 

She turned to her father, whom Bjornarne was helping on 
deck. 

“Are you again here, youngster?” said the trader of the 
fiord, heartily shaking him by the hands. “ You are welcome ! 
You come at the right time, if all is safe on board.” 

“ All’s right, father,” responded the son. “ Nothing is 
missing ; not even a nail, or a handful of salt.” 

The old man nodded approvingly, and uttered a peculiar 
guttural tone, a sort of grunt, which frequently, in Norway, is 
reckoned a sign of satisfaction, and sounds like a prolonged 
nuh ! 

“Nuh!” resumed he; “you are a brave. ^oy, Bjornarne; 
you have a good hand, in which business prospers. Is it not 
so?” 

“ I think so, father,” said Bjornarne, laughing; “ and I guess 
I come at the right moment with my salt and bacon.” 

The trader turned half around to Marstrand, and regarded 
him with a measuring, sly look. The leather color of his long, 
hard countenance seemed to take a browner hue, and the deep 
wrinkles on his brow drew closer together over his broad nose. 
“We will see, Bjornarne,” said he; “but you have brought a 
passenger with you ; one, I suppose, who desires to see matters 
close at hand. Is it not so ?” 

“ I believe so, father.” 

“ Nuh !” grunted the old man again ; and around his mouth 


28 


AFRAJA. 


played a smile, which quickly disappeared. He went up t-o 
Marstrand, and gave him his hand. “ You are welcome, sir, 
to Lofodden,” said he; “you bring fine weather with you. 
Would we had had it earlier; it is, however, good enough as 
it is. You have come at a good time to see a wonderfully lucky 
fishing.” 

“ My best luck is to find you here,” answered Marstrand, 
“ as I have need of your counsel and assistance. I have come 
to an entirely strange country, to seek my fortune.” 

“ I have often heard the birds pipe the same tune. They 
all sing the same song, when they fly hither from Denmark ; 
and seem to think gold grows on the Lapland Tjellen, and it 
needs only to stoop and pick it up, to line the pockets. Soft 
hands and small feet are as little adapted to this region, as the 
lisping speech of Copenhagen. Is it not so ?” he said, with 
a good-humored nod to the stranger. 

“I have brought a letter from Trondheim, which will give 
you better information concerning myself.” 

“Nuh!” exclaimed the old man, “let everyone enjoy his 
luck. It is a frank-spoken word of Niels Helgestad, sir. Learn 
how it goes with a fortune-hunter in this country. Voluntarily 
no one comes hither ; it is the last resource. Many, however, 
fail, because they cannot suffer.” 

The look which, with his last words, he cast upon the young 
Dane, was a mixture of warning and sympathy, that Marstrand 
thoroughly understood. Niels Helgestad took the letter, opened 
it, and read it, leaning against the bulwark ; whilst, from time 
to time, he observed his guest and the fishing-grounds, and 
seemed to count the full boats as they came in. At last he 
crumpled up the paper, and thrust it in his coat pocket. 

“What a man can do,” he suddenly ejaculated, “ to help his 
fellow-man, shall honestly be done. How do you propose to 
begin, Herr Marstrand ?•” 

“I think,” replied the latter, “of presenting my donation 
letter to the farmer of the crown domains in Tromsoe, and to 


A F R A J A . 


29 


geek the land which our gracious sovereign has bestowed upon 
me.” 

“ He has kindly acted, our lord in Copenhagen,” said the 
old man. “ But what do you intend to do further, when the 
Amtmann has said — ‘There, above, lie the Tjellen; go thither 
and seek your lands/ ” 

“ Then,” said Marstrand, confused, “ then I will choose the 
richest lands.” 

“ Fertile land 1” screamed the trader, in a roar of laughter. 
“ The holy Olaf enlighten you, Herr ! Who has informed you 
that you will find fertility here? Go home, if you wish to 
plant grain. But, no matter,” said he, in a subdued tone, as 
he remarked Marstrand’s embarrassment, “you did not know 
the wilderness which lies behind these rocks. Yet the eye of 
a prudent man can well discern the point where the royal patent 
can force wheat with golden ears out of the rock.” 

For a moment he scrutinizingly scanned his guest, and then 
addressed him, “ Do you bring any money with you ?” 

“ I am not entirely without means,” he replied. 

“ Much it cannot be,” said Helgestad : “ for had you money, 
you would have remained quietly at home, and gambled, danced, 
and rioted in feasts and frolics. This is the life of the great 
lords, who know no work, but despise and deride the laboring 
man.” 

“ Herr Helgestad,” exclaimed Marstrand, reddening, “ I am 
not here to be thus spoken to by you.” 

“Nuh !” said the trader, quietly; “if I had not hit the nail 
on the head, you would not snap at the remark. But to the 
point. How much money have you ?” 

“ A thousand species , and something over,” replied the young 
nobleman, hesitatingly. 

“ It is enough for a beginning,” continued Helgestad, with 
deliberation, “ if it be truly so.” 

He regarded Marstrand with such a distrustful, cunning smile, 
that the latter vexedly replied, “ I hope you do not think that 
3 * 


30 


AFRAJA. 


I lie, and make a pretence to the possession of money which I 
have not.” 

“ 1 believe yon,” said Helgestad. “ There are many instances, 
however, of young lords who come here to get rich. They 
speak to the people of their estates at home, and their noble 
relatives; swear by their honor and conscience, and contract 
great debts. There have been such here, who would have run 
a man through the body who doubted their word, but at last 
ran off like scoundrels and villains; and all that they asserted 
turned out to be falsehood and deception. Will you listen to 
my advice, Herr Marstrand ?” 

“ Most cheerfully,” said he. 

“ He who would live here, and make money,” said the trader, 
as he propped himself up against the bulwark, “must engage 
in trade ; otherwise, he can do nothing. Trade, sir, that is the 
thing. We will speak hereafter of your land patent, at a proper 
time; it is now necessary to make a great venture, and this is 
the very moment. Who would live here, if the sea were not 
full of fish ? The fish, Herr Marstrand, that is the attraction. 
Lofodden is a treasure for us all, and one that is inexhaustible. 
Every year, in March, those dumb creatures, the cod, resort in 
immense swarms to the Westfiord to spawn, and notwithstanding 
the millions that are caught, the number never diminishes. 
Hither we come also. From the North Cape to Trondheim, 
all who can, twenty thousand men and more, gather here on 
account of the fishery. Do you know how many we have taken 
within the last four weeks? More than fifteen millions. The 
scaffolds are all full to breaking ; the yachts are all crammed 
with salted fish and livers Train oil will be cheap, Herr Mar- 
strand ; fish is to be obtained for a half species the va'age , and 
-that is forty-eight good pounds. It is a real luck for us,” said 
he, with a grin, “that there are Catholic Christians in the 
world — in Portugal, Italy, Spain, Germany, and other countries, 
by whatever names you call them. We rarely eat the dried 
stuff, which tastes like wood, and looks like petrified shingle; 


' AFRAJA. 


31 


in tlie south, however, among Catholic people, it is the fasting 
food for poor and rich, and the cheaper it is, the more is 
bought.” 

“ I understand nothing of such business,” said Marstrand, 
“and cannot engage in a fish speculation. Who will sell to 
me, if the profit is so considerable,” said he, as he saw the 
frown of the trader. 

, “ One must understand how to take advantage of opportuni- 
ties. The fish are now to be bought cheap. Every one willingly 
parts with some of his abundant stock for ready money. If you 
were acquainted with the country, you would understand its 
customs. It is all barter here, and money is a rarity. The 
fisherman, the Northman, and Quane, as well as the Laplander, 
all borrow from the trader, who provides them with what they 
need for the whole year. They give him in return the product 
of their nets. The trader borrows also of the great merchants 
in Bergen, and sends to them ship-loads of cod-fish, salted fish, 
and train-oil. All whom you here see fishing are in the service 
of merchants and proprietors on the coast, and have their 
accounts in the credit-book. Each fish is numbered and 
reckoned for, as it is hung on the drying-stand ; when it reaches 
Bergen, it is worth from three to six times as much as at first 

— do you understand, Herr ? In a year like this, when there 
is a superabundance, sales are made on the spot, and others 
have a chance in the speculation. It may be that you can make 
a good hit.” 

Marstrand stood musing and in doubt. “ Nuh !” said the 
old man, “ every one must act as he has the heart. Trade is 
uncertain ; he who has no confidence must not embark in it.” 

“As the catch is so abundant,” replied Marstrand, “large 
profit, it seems to me, cannot be expected this year. All com- 
missions can be easily executed, the storehouses are full to 
repletion, and the prices must fall.” 

— Helgestad, for the first time, suffered his eye to rest with 
gratification upon the young adventurer. “ You have an eye 


32 


A F It A J A . 


to trade, Herr,” he said, “ such as is rarely met with among 
your like : the thing will turn out differently from what you 
suppose. To-day is Saint Gertrude’s day; and it is not a good 
sign if the sun shines. Stormy weather is certain to follow, 
according to an old saying in these parts. The fish there upon 
the rocks and the scaffolds continue to hang until June, whilst 
we all go home, press out the oil, and then deliver it at Bergen 
That is the first voyage in every year. In the month of June 
the yachts return to load the catch ; and then many have reason 
to repent that they did not build their drying-stands higher. 
Fishermen are a reckless, giddy race, forgetful of the future, 
and avoiding labor and trouble as much as they can. There 
are heavy snows down to April and May, which often bury up 
the scaffolds and fish. When the crews land and seek the fish, 
they find only stinking flesh and worms. What ought to have 
brought money, must be cast into the sea; and so the whole 
of a rich fishery is often lost. It may happen so again, Herr 
Marstrand.” 

A crafty smile illuminated his features, and Marstrand began 
to feel a desire for, and confidence in, the fish speculation. He 
looked upon both the children of his counsellor, who heard all 
in silence. The tall maiden stood next to him, and fixed her 
eyes inquiringly, though with rather an indifferent regard, upon 
his countenance; Bjornarne, however, nodded assent, and 
seemed surprised at his father’s frankness. 

“Good!” said the young man, “I am willing. I do not 
understand trade, but I rely upon your sympathy to make a 
purchase for me.” 

“ I will do it,” said Helgestad, cordially grasping his 
hand. “It is agreed between us, and I give you the word of a 
Norwegian. To-day, a fine number from Vaage was offered me, 
which I declined, as I have enough, with what God has bestowed 
upon me. I shall now look out, and see if I cannot drive a 
good bargain. Ho, boat !” he cried out over the bulwark of 
the yacht. “Be ready, Ole, my boy. You, Herr, remain on 


AFR A J A. 


33 


board with the children, until I return. Bring out the best 
you have, Bjornarne; set the table, Ilda. I shall send or bring 
a fresh dish of fish.” 

With these words he descended the ladder, and he was surely 
in his best humor, for he twice looked up with a broad grin, 
and called to his daughter to take care to hunt up the fine 
things Bjornarne had brought for her from Trondheim. 


CHAPTER II. 

Bjornarne was heartily glad at the drift the affair of his 
friend had taken, whom he repeatedly assured it could not have 
resulted better, and that the advice of his father was excellent. 
“ He is a man who knows how to make his way, and troubles 
himself but little about the business of others; he must, 
therefore, hold you in high esteem. Now he has take$ your 
business upon his own shoulders, and he will take care that he 
dees not fail in it, Dismiss all care, John Marstrand ; let us 
eat and be merry; my sister Ilda loves a friendly face. She is 
a girl,” said he, “who stands firm upon her legs, and holds her 
head proudly on her neck. You shall see her dance to-day there 
in Ostvaagen, for there is a ball to-night at the Gaard. She 
will astonish you with her agility of foot.” 

In the meanwhile, Ilda was engaged in removing from the 
chests whatever was necessary to furnish the table with. She 
was quick of hand, and yet all her movements appeared to be 
measured and slow. A cold seriousness characterized her 
countenance, which only now and then lighted up at the gay 
rattle of her brother, to again settle back into its natural quie- 
tude. She moved up and down the shaking ship with a secure 
step, without ever losing her balance. She went to and fro, 

C 


34 


A FRA J A. 


bringing meal and provisions to the cooking caboose, within 
whose narrow limits she soon established order. She answered 
Marstrand’s questions and polite speeches in an indifferent 
manner; for the most part without looking at him, which 
excited no little mortification on his part; and he repeated 
scornfully to himself Bjornarne’ s words, “she stands firmly on 
her legs ; but as to her nimble-footedness I have some doubt.” 

The table was at last ready, upon which one of the national 
dishes, groat soup, with dried plums and herrings, was served 
up. Bjornarne’s face kindled with gratification. “ Bravo, sister ! 
you are a famous cook. I have long been deprived of the 
finest dish, dear girl, which a man can find. Let us set to, John 
Marstrand; you must be hungry.” 

That was true, indeed, of the young nobleman; but he had 
no liking for the precious dish. He felt an inward horror of it; 
yet he seized a spoon, and was dipping it into the plate, as Ilda 
laid her hand upon his arm, saying to him,, in an earnest 
manner, “ First let us pray, as is proper.” 

“I really forgot it,” said Bjornarne, smiling, “I have been 
so long away from home. On ship-board, amid the rocking of 
winds and waves, and where time, is scant, it cannot always be 
observed. You are right, sister; let us pray.” 

He folded his hands, and smilingly turned to his friend, who 
followed his example. Ilda pronounced the table prayer, and 
her face expressed a reproving displeasure, at the levity of her 
companions, which was not unobserved by them. 

^ “You must know,” said Bjornarne, as the plates were filled, 
“ that Ilda is a religious maiden, who is thoroughly versed in 
the Bible, and never misses going to church, be the weather 
bad as it may. And it is no joke,” continued he, “in the 
winter season to cross the fiord for two miles, in open boat, when 
the tempest rages, and the ice drifts. The church lies deep 
within the inner bay, on account of the Finns, who live on the 
mountains. Many a one bolts his door to, piles up- the logs 
upon his hearth, and lets the parson preach to suit himself. 


A F R A J A . 


35 


The Laplanders come down thither from the Tjellen, and listen, 
without understanding a word, and return as stupid as they 
came.” 

“You are an unrighteous man, Bjornarne,” said Ilda, 
angrily. 

“ Null !” said the brother, with a laugh, “ I know what you 
mean. I will explain to you, John, what Ilda means. She is 
a Christian at heart, and she wishes to make others such. We 
have a pastor in the country, Klaus Hornemann by name, who 
has taken it into his head to convert and baptise the heathen 
Finns, reindeer shepherds, and Laplanders, who wander about 
through the boundless wilderness. My sister faithfully aids 
him in his labors, and she so long implored her father, 
that he has consented to take into our ho, use the daughter 
of an old churl who has some fame among his people as a sor- 
cerer. The old Afraja unwillingly enough consented, for they 
have as great a dislike to us as fire to water; it cost a good 
quantity of tobacco, brandy, and hard threats, before he would 
let the girl co me down among us. Now we have her at home, 
and Ilda has tamed her so, that she c an sew ; and has taught 
her reading, and all kinds of arts. You will see, John Mar- 
strand, how ready she is, and how quick she is at comprehension ; 
for God has not sent them into the world without understanding. 
But because this one is an exception to her race, and is neither 
dirty, thievish, nor corrupt, but good and friendly, so that she 
has won the good-wiil of all, Ilda thinks I unjustly despise a 
people whom no Norman touches, but kicks out of the way.” 

“ Whoever bears a Christian name,” said Ilda, and her eyes 
flashed while she spoke, “ should esteem a man, wherever he is 
found, as his brother, and give him his hand.” 

“The Lapps are not men!” exclaimed Bjornarne. “They 
are beasts, worse than swine and rooks !” 

“ For shame, for shame, brother !” responded the brave girl. 
“ What you say is spoken without reflection, and that most do, 
who think like you. And yet, I am sure, you have not such a 


36 


A JPR A J A. 


bad opinion of them/' she said, with a significant smile. 
“ Have you not been with Gula in the Tjellen ? have you not 
sat in the gamme of her father, eaten his meat, drank his milk, 
and held friendly conversation with him ?” 

A cloud of confusion swept across Bjornarne’s face, over 
which he passed his hand, and laughingly replied; “You do not 
know what you are talking about, sister Ilda. As if one could* 
not for once sit in a gamme, and partake of reindeer’s-meat and 
milk with a Lapp, who counts thousands of herds for his own, 
and, besides, is a kind of prince and patriarch, a wiseacre and 
magician, among his people. Yet, while we are sitting here, 
time is passing, and our guest appears to have lost his appetite ; 
his soup is growing cold.” 

The young nobleman had laid the spoon aside, for the sweet 
soup and the salted fish was in no wise agreeable to his taste 
Bjornarne laughed aloud, as he observed the expression of 
aversion which appeared on Marstrand’s countenance. “ You 
Banes do not know how good it tastes,” said he. “It is a 
famous old Nordland dish, in quest of which every one of us 
would travel miles.” 

“ I do not envy you it, and I wish you a perfect appetite,” 
replied the younker. “As a Bane, however, you must excuse 
me for declining it.” 

“ He who leaves his native country, and goes to dwell among 
a strange people, must take their manners and customs, meats 
and drinks, as he finds them,” answered Ilda. “You are 
wrong, Herr, if you wish to be among us different from 
ourselves.” 

The smile which accompanied her reproof was so gracious, 
that Marstrand, he hardly knew why, took up the spoon again, 
and with such heartiness fell upon the dish, that the plate was 
soon emptied. 

The loud laughter of the brother and sister, as he raised 
himself up from his effort, like a hero who has performed a 
great feat, aroused his mirth. He responded gaily to the jest- 


A F R A J A . 37 

ing applause, and found that the daughter of the trader of tho 
fiords showed him much more confidence than before. 

“ You have demonstrated that you are not wanting in good- 
will ; therefore take also now fish and meat, such as we have to 
offer, that you may grow familiar with our fare.” 

The repast finished much more harmoniously than it had 
began. Bjornarne brought glasses out of the chest, and a flask 
of old Madeira. A toast was then given, to a hearty welcome 
in the land, to good luck and prosperity, to steady friendship, 
and, at last, also, that John Marstrand might build himself a 
house in the neighborhood of Lyngenfiord, and there pass his 
life in blessed happiness and joy. 

“Take care,” said Bjornarne, “you will be pleased sooner 
than you think ; and when once these wild rocks and waters 
have won your affection, you will never more be able to tear 
yourself away from them. I have often heard of, and seen 
people come among us, who, for the first year, were almost 
driven to take their own lives, from the antipathy they felt for 
the land. They were soon again in good spirits; and they 
finally found it so attractive, that nothing could induce them to 
return to their native country, although they had sufficiency 
of money and goods there.” 

Marstrand looked around. He could not believe that a man 
who had made his fortune would not immediately flee from these 
wilds. “ That is curious,” said he ; “ wonderfully strange !” 

“ It is easy to explain, and quite natural,” answered Ilda. 
“ The men who came were strange and forlorn. Solitude and 
privation oppressed their spirits. By degrees, they acquired 
friends, their prosperity increased, they labored, and found hap- 
piness and tranquillity in the bosom of their family. In the 
world from which you come, John Marstrand, people live amidst 
all kinds of amusements and distractions ; with us, you have 
nothing but your own house. Therein you must seek all the 
happiness that is given to you on earth.” 

4 


88 


AFRAJA. 


The young man was convinced of the truth of her remark. 
Nothing hut the narrow circle of the house, a retired, tranquil 
life in a wilderness, where weeks and months pass by without 
ever seeing your threshold crossed by a strange foot, that it was 
which, in the best case, he could obtain ; and Ilda pronounced 
it with the assurance of a prophet, yet in a tone which 
I seemed to indicate that it was the highest and best aim of 


man.” 

u My sister is indeed right,” said Bjornarne, u it is so with 
us. Whoever comes here must learn to endure solitude, and 
to eradicate all anxious longings from his heart. Did you not 
leave a wife at home, John Marstrand ; a bride, perhaps ?” 

" No,” replied the younker, laughing. 

“ Or a maiden whom you love as your eyes ?” inquired the 
indefatigable Norman, further. 

“ Also no, Bjornarne. Our maidens,” he good-naturedly 
shook his head, u would not so easily follow a husband into 
these wastes of snow and fish.” 

As he looked up, he met the eyes of Ilda. They were fixed 
upon him with an expression of astonishment, but they glowed 
with a tender and friendly feeling, as if to inspire him with ♦ 
consolation, and she said, in her deep-toned voice, “I think you 
are in error, Herr. Maidens everywhere have God’s voice in 
their hearts, which says to them : 1 Follow him whom you love 
wherever he may be upon the earth/ as it is written in the 
Holy Scriptures.” 

“ Then,” he replied, “ no one, at least, has manifested such 
love to me, as that of which you speak ; especially — but it may 
also in time fall to my lot. With the King’s letter in pocket, 

I have come hither in quest of fortune. Let it present itself 
to me as it may — as whale, reindeer, or peasant who tills his 
little field, or as a trader in the darkest depths of the fiord, I 
will embrace and hold fast to it; and perhaps it may be my 
destiny there to find my house and happiness.” 1 

As he ceased, Bjornarne exclaimed, “ You are a valiant man. 


0i 

AFRAJA. 39 

and you will prosper. You will build your bouse as soon 
as you choose. Do you not think so, Ilda ?” 

“ He who will establish the happiness of his house, must 
bring peace and contentment into it ; the giddy in thought and 
action are fickle, and to-day that appears right, which to-morrow 
is wrong. Thy friend, Bjornarne, must first be at peace with 
himself, and learn to know us, before we can further judged 
Then she stood up and exclaimed, “ Here comes father back. 
His boat is already at the foot of the ladder.” 

In a few moments more, the heavy tread of the trader 
resounded on the deck, and with some haste he labored along 
between the bales and barrels down to the cabin steps. 

“Null !” he said, as he entered, “you have cleared the table 
during my absence ; but serve up again, Ilda, I shall be satisfied 
with what remains; and bring me another flask, Bjornarne, I 
am hungry and thirsty from business and talking. Nothing in 
this world, Herr Marstrand, without trouble.” He took off his 
cap, drew a stool to the table, and stroked his yellow, gray, 
long-falling hair with both hands from his wrinkled brow. For 
a few minutes he sat perfectly silent, as if he wished to tliink 
over exactly what he was about to say; then he raised up his 
head, and said to Marstrand, “The bargain is made. Two 
thousand vaage of good fish have been selected for you, and 
hung up to dry, that makes a thousand species to-day, at six 
o’clock this evening, in Ostvaagden there.” 

“Good,” said Marstrand, “the money shall be forth- 
coming.” 

“ Pour on !” said Helgestad, good-naturedly, “ you will not 
repent of your purchase. You can gain five and six-fold, if you 
have luck ; as the first venture of a trader turns out, so goes it with 
the next one. Luck gives courage, and courage luck. A faint 
heart gains nothing, a man must confide in himself : and here , 1 
in this country, it is necessary, above all things, to have the 
eyes before or behind, according to circumstances.” He next 
began a long examination of his protege, from whom, through 


40 


A F R A J A . 


a thousand cross- questions, he extracted all he desired to know. 
He looked at the royal patent, read it syllable by syllable, and 
appeared to study it in detail; while he talked of trade, of 
Denmark, and its relation with the German provinces, which 
then, through Flensburg, possessed a considerable part of the 
commerce with Nordland and Finnmark. All his observations 
were keen and to the point, and showed a perfect acquaintance 
with the actual condition and relations of both the United 
Provinces. The wretched finances, and the anarchical disorder 
of the government in Copenhagen, the prodigality of the, court, 
and the idle, arrogant swarms of officials were likewise criticised 
with unsparing truth by the trader of the fiords, beyond the 
polar circle. His guest, with whom he emptied glass after 
glass, was in no degree spared, and he seemed to take particu- 
lar pleasure in showing him what he wa^, and what he must be. 

“You have brought smooth hands with you,” said he, 
laughing, while he opened his own coarse, thick fist, “but 
you will soon lose the white fingers, if you wish to push your 
way. Nuh ! you will succeed. You are a man who must know 
that no royal palace, with marble halls and music bands, exists 
here. The old Tjellen there are our palaces and castles, and 
there they will stand as long as the world lasts. They have 
halls and columns enough, and there is no king nor sultan so 
grand, and the tempest fills them with glorious music.” 

“ I know,” said Marstrand, “ that I must expect to work 
hard. You can depend upon me, Herr Helgestad, I am pre- 
pared to do my duty.” 

“I will tell you what I have calculated/ ' replied the trader, 
confidentially. “I have a house in Lyngenfiord, you know. 
It is a fine situation, frequented on all sides. Three markets 
in the year are close at hand, to which the Quanes and Tjeld- 
lapps resort from the mountains ; and there is, besides, abundant 
trade with the fishing people of the neighborhood. A perfect 
labyrinth of sounds converge at that point, and there is many 
a blessed little spot yet waste and unoccupied. I know of one 


APRAJA. 41 

where a skilful man can put up a house, and make himself a 
handsome living.” 

“ And shall I settle myself there ?” asked Marstrand. 

“ That is my opinion,” said the old man. “ Seyfish and 
syld come up to your door. There are also serviceable people 
at hand, whom you can avail yourself of. In half a day, with 
wind and tide, you can reach Trpmsoe ; it is a sheltered, happy 
paradise. Rocks and islands full of gulls, Skarve and Aiken; 
also eider-down ducks, and their breeding-places on the rocks. 
There is a feather trade, which brings money. Thereby, in the 
ravines, wood enough, more than enough — great, mighty trees.” 
He nodded to the guest, and, with a shrewd contraction of the 
brow, whispered to him, “I think you understand it; is it not 
so? Wood enough, Herr!” 

Marstrand looked at him steadily, without exactly appre- 
ciating the excellence of the locality, but Helgestad gave him a 
wink, and continued, “You must settle the affair soon in 
Tromsoe. Voigt Paulsen is a man whom you can gain if you 
choose. You must hold your patent under his nose, that he 
may read its contents. The sooner you begin the better.” 

“ Will he also grant me the land of which you speak ?” 

“I think so,” replied Helgestad, impatiently. “In the 
meantime, you can reside with me until you see your way 
clear, and are established. Build a dwelling and a store-house 
near at hand; buy boats and fishing-tackle, with a yacht for 
the Bergen voyages. You must yourself provide the stock of 
a shop.” 

A deep blush suffused Marstrand’ s face. “ Must I keep a 
shop,” shouted he, horrified at the idea, “ a shop for Lapps and 
Quanes ?” 

“A shop,” answered Helgestad, cooly; “or do you think to 
live here as a gentleman of the bed-chamber? You should 
have remained at home in silk robes and red hose, if it pleases 
you so much better.” 

“It is impossible,” said the young nobleman, clasping his 
4 * 


42 


A FRA J A. 


Lands. “I cannot think of it — the shop must be dispensed 
with.” 

“ It is absolutely necessary that you keep one, as all do who 
desire success. There are many persons here who can count 
out upon the table their fifty or hundred thousand species , who 
yet keep a shop.” 

“But if I also,” said Marstrand, “should wish to buy, to 
build, and establish myself, it requires money, and I have 
none.” 

“You have a friend in Lyngenfiord,” replied the trader, 
emphatically, “ who will see to it that you want nothing. I 
have money and goods enough to set you up properly.” 

“In heaven’s name, then,” said Marstrand, with desperate 
resolution, “ I will do as you advise, because I think you un- 
derstand it best. No one knows what he is capable of, and 
what necessity can make of him.” 

“You are right,” said Helgestad; “it is a good instruc- 
tor, and it gives prudence, and sharpens the vision and the 
wit. It will be your fault, if others eat the apple that was baked 
for you.” 

He stood up, and drew a huge, thick watch from his pocket, 
which hung from his vest by a long silver chain. It is time 
that we set out; we shall just have time to reach Ostvaagen 
and transact the business, before the ball at the Gaard begins. 
Bring out your money; and hurry, Herr Marstrand, or Bjor- 
narne and Ilda will be there before us. They would not, for 
all the world, miss a fandango or hop.” 

Marstrand opened his trunk, and took out the purse filled 
with gold coin, the whole of his riches. He counted the 
pieces, whose clear ring greatly gratified the avaricious Ilelge- 
stad, as he stood overlooking the reckoning, and reducing them 
into louis-d’ors. 

“Now away!” said he, “do not carry the purse in your 
hand, but secure it in the bottom of your pocket, before we 
descend to the boat. Misfortune is cheap ; and the sea returns 


AFRAJA. 43 

nothing that has fallen into it. Many a thing lies buried there 
till the last day." 

The cautious trader pushed his anxiety for his young friend 
almost too far ; for on the deck, he also warned him not to he 
in too great a hurry to get into the boat, because he might 
easily fall into the water, and as he sat alongside of him in the 
yawl, he related terrible stories of fisherman and sailors who 
had fallen from vessels, and had been drawn under the keel, or 
been seized by sharks; for the voracious monsters of the 
Atlantic often penetrate into the innermost recesses of the 
sounds and fiords. Marstrand smiled, but it gratified him to 
see the active interest taken in his welfare by so worthy a man. 
He no longer felt alone in that strange land; he had found 
people who sympathized with him. This old trader, with his 
rough, hard manners, showed him a rare affection, and there, 
upon the taffrail of the yacht, leaned his two children, upon 
whose good-will he could firmly rely. 

“While the boat, rapidly rowed by two stout fishermen towards 
the land, glided between rocks and shoals, and by numerous 
fishing-stations, Helgestad named the merchants to whom the 
catch belonged, and spoke of their dwellings, their fortunes, 
their families, their careers, and adventures; so that it was 
evident, he was thoroughly posted up in all that had happened 
for many a year, a hundred miles up and down the coast. He 
knew not only the rich, but also the fishing folk, many of whom 
he called by name, addressing them amusing inquiries, and 
responding to their greetings in such a manner as to awaken 
the most riotous mirth. 

Helgestad laughed, and said to Marstrand, 11 There is great 
fun here, is there not ? I think you will long remember this 
year, and forget its hard hours. The recollection of happy 
days is a delightful thing, Herr Marstrand ; it consoles man-' 
in distress, inspires him with hope, and, in this respect, we are 
all alike. One thinks of this, another of that. You think of 
your banquets in Copenhagen, of the gaily-dressed dames, and 


44 


AFRAJA. 


the princes; the fisherman there, of the largest cod and the 
fullest net; I, upon the profit of train-oil in Bergen. The 
pleasures of memory are to all the same.” 

Marstrand laughed aloud at the complacency of Helgestad, 
who, as he closed his philosophical observations, exclaimed, 
with redoubled emphasis, “ It is a fine thing that, but every 
one must see to it that his reminiscences are agreeable. Is it 
not so, Ole Gormson ? I think so. Take care of the stones, Ole.” 

The boat flew on the rocky beach, and, as Marstrand looked 
around, three Normans stood there in their long, dark coats, 
and huge caps, who took hold of the yawl and drew it on the 
strand. 

An old wooden ladder, with broken rounds, conducted to the 
rocks, where stood the Gaard of Ostvaagen. It was a log house, 
painted red, with small windows, a roof of earth, and heavy 
limbs of trees, upon which, for security against the storms, 
large stones had been laid. From the dirty front room, a 
small, dark passage between casks, nets, angling-rods, and 
fishing-tackle, led to a hall, which took up almost the whole 
interior of the house, and served the double purpose of a 
sitting and reception-room to the occupant of the Gaard of 
Ostvaagen. 

Upon one side was a brown cupboard, set out with bottles, 
pitchers, and glasses; tables and benches were arranged against 
the opposite wall, and some men sat there, leaning on their 
elbows — sinewy, heavy figures, in leathern jerkins, over which 
their long hair fell in tangled disorder. The gravity of their 
demeanor was in no degree disturbed by the entrance of Helge- 
stad and his companion. A glance or two at the stranger, who 
appeared in their midst in such unwonted garb, was sufficient 
to satisfy their curiosity ; they appeared to trouble themselves 
scarcely more about the trade, which was begun and closed at 
their elbows, although they certainly lost not a word, and 
seriously pondered the transaction, to judge by the movements 
of their eyes and lips. 


A F R A J A . 


45 


<( You have here three of the best men, whose word is as firm 
as the mountains,” said Helgestad, after he had made Marstrand 
acquainted with the venders. “ But to business. Bought of 
Olaf Godvad, eight hundred fish; from Henrik Neilson, six 
hundred; from Gulick Stevenson, six hundred; in all two 
thousand, selected according to my choice, and. consigned to me 
on your account. Shake hands, Herr Marstrand; and now 
count out the species on the table, where many a one has lain 
before. Mary,” shouted he, joyously, to the old woman who 
was seated on a stool by the fire on the hearth, “ bring us punch, 
hot punch ! we must drink to prosperous trade. It is a cold 
night, storm streaks lie athwart the sky, and on Salten’s needles. 
Or would you prefer Madeira toddy ? Bring Madeira toddy, 
Mary; it is better for you, Herr Marstrand. You have brought 
with you a fine face, and it would be a pity if it were to turn 
brown or red.” 

Marstrand emptied his pocket of the money, which was 
carefully counted over, and examined with sharp inspection, 
before it was gathered up by the hard hands of the fish traders, 
and deposited in their purses. As Marstrand pocketed tho 
empty purse, an anxious thought came over him, which almost 
led him to repent of what he had done. “What if these 
unknown men were in combination to defraud him of what he 
possessed !” He had remarked how closely they regarded each 
other, and how cunningly they seemed to interchange glances, 
and hew piteously the spectators looked upon him. Old 
Helgestad himself appeared pretty much like a sharper who 
has made a lucky throw of the dice. There was no time, 
however, for the Danish younker to surrender himself to these 
sad thoughts ; his money was gone, and he was surrounded by 
men who, evidently, were not to be trifled with. Now came 
the punch and toddy. Short Holland pipes and tobacco were 
laid upon the table; his health was drunk, he was shaken 
by the hands, and all kinds of questions asked him, and, as the 
ice of the first introduction was broken, the traders and fisher- 


46 


AFRAJA. 


men gathered around the new comer, to hear what he had to 
relate that was interesting of the Danish capital. 

Time passed away quickly enough for Marstrand, who, for 
his part, learnt much that was new and instructive to him. 
The trading operations of this remote coast-land were on the 
increase, the fishing business had never been so active ; and for 
this reason the Danish government directed a closer attention 
to Finnmark, and sought, through the sale of privileges, 
trading-posts, and useful land, to increase its sources of 
revenue. 

A greater number of guests gradually came in, all full of joy 
at the excellent catch, and bent on giving full vent to their 
gratification. The host of Ostvaagen and his traders had 
enough to do, to fill and refill the glasses with punch and toddy, 
which were incessantly drained; uproar, and laughter, and 
tobacco smoke filled the large room, and mingled with the odor 
of fish and fat, which all exhaled from the crown of the head 
to the sole of the feet. The evening grew darker, and a dozen 
rude lights were brought in and stuck in empty bottles, but 
their feeble glimmer was not sufficient to overcome the gloom. 
Many voigts, sorenskriver, and other officials had come from 
the islands and the coast, to meet their friends and transact 
business. All drank the strong liquors like water, all shouted 
and screamed, and between the clouds of smoke there opened, 
from time to time, rifts, through which could be seen in a row 
against the wall, the hard-featured visages of the traders, who 
slowly drained their glasses, and secretly pondered upon the 
advantage they could gain of one or the other of the 
bystanders. 

After some time, there was a cessation in this din. A six 
foot tall Nordlander sprang into the room, and while he pushed 
those next to him to the right and left, he cried out in a bold 
voice, “ Place for the music ! Here comes the music ! Give 
place, you there in the green coat, to the musicians. 

The young Herr of Nordland appeared to belong to the elite, 


AFRAJA. 


47 


for he wore a new blue jacket, and a large and gay cravat; but 
be took hold of Marstrand so roughly that the latter angrily 
extricated himself from his grasp. The Nordlander did not ? 
however, desist ; hut coolly looking in the flushed face of the 
Danish younker, exclaimed ; “ Can’t you hear or see ? Sheer 
off ! the dance is to begin ; or are your legs made fast to the 
earth, like the roots of a birch tree.” 

“ Neither my leg nor my arm,” said Marstrand. 

The Nordlander appeared to consider if he had rightly 
understood, then doubling up his fists, he said to his antago- 
nist, with an air of defiance; “If you wish to fight, come on; 
but first get away from there, if you have brains enough to 
understand.” 

At this moment Bjornarne entered with Ilda and a young 
man. 

“ Holla, Olaf, my dear fellow !” exclaimed Bjornarne : “ peace 
be with you. It is a year and more since we have met. 
Here is my sister Ilda, who has promised herself to you for the 
first dance ; for the second, she is engaged to Paul Petersen ; 
and for the. third, I have the preference.” 

“ Bight glad am I to see you here again,” said he, shaking 
Bjornarne by the hand, “but” — looking to Marstrand, who 
had, in the meanwhile, stepped back — “I have a dispute to 
settle here.” 

“ Do you refer to yonder person ?” asked Bjornarne. “ Let 
him alone, Olaf. He is a Dane, a stranger, who is unacquainted 
with our customs.” 

“ Good, let the Danish ape run, then,” said the Nordlander. 
“ There is the music ; give me your hand, Miss Ilda ; it must 
not be said, that the ball in Gaard von Ostvaagoen was opened 
by any other than Ilda Helgestad and Olaf Veigand.” 

With one arm he clasped Ilda’s waist, and with the other he 
pitched the packs of the fishermen in a pile, and thus opened 
a clear space, in which three or four couple whirled about to 


48 


A F R A J A . 


the clang of the music, whose shrill tones were accompanied 
by the shouts of the noisy, half-intoxicated spectators. 

Two violins, a trumpet, and a kind of flageolet, formed a 
dancing music of the drollest species. The two men who 
played the stringed instruments upon their knees, were, doubt- 
less, artists from the Hardanger mountains, where the peasants 
themselves make these violins, and perform upon them with 
their fingers and a small bow. The trumpeter, who pealed in 
long blasts between the tinkling, appeared to be a disbanded 
soldier from a coast town ; the flutist was evidently a son of 
the outcast people of the wilderness, a Lapp, whose oblique 
eyes, and high, protruding cheek-bones, gave clear proof of his 
Mongolian descent. The shrill tones of his pipe kept good 
time, and led the music of the dance ; a crowd gathered around 
him, who were highly delighted with his wonderful display of 
artistic skill, which they manifested by loud acclamations, and 
by offerings of flowing glasses of hot drinks. 

Such was the ball in Gaard von Ostvaagoen ; and it extended 
late into the night, with universal satisfaction. The daughters 
and wives of the traders and voigts, with the young girls and 
old women from the vicinity, were indefatigable dancers. They 
whirled through the double quick-step and reel with unheard 
of agility, while the young men, to the peril of their necks, 
leaped to the ceiling, and shook the building with their 
powerful stamping on the floor. By degrees, old and young 
alike were fascinated by the sport, and all joined in the giddy 
whirl. Even the old traders sprang from their seats to seek a 
partner, though it were the old hostess herself* Marstrand 
seemed to be the only one who did not find pleasure in the 
wild uproar. He leaned up against a corner, and quietly sur- 
veyed the scene; for none seemed to trouble themselves 
about him. Bjdrnarne danced like one possessed, and Ilda was 
constantly on the floor with one partner or another. Suddenly, 
however, the old Helgestad took the younker by the arm, and 
drew him out of the corner. “ Nuh \” said he ; 11 you stand 


AFR A J A. 


49 


there like a statue of stone. Do you not like the dance ? It 
seems to me so, and I will show you one also whom it does not 
please. There is the nephew of voigt Peter Paulsen in Trom- 
soe, his secretary and assistant ; he is a man of your pattern, 
hut one who does not please everybody. I must tell you 
something, Herr, before we go further. He is a creature that 
one must not approach with an open hand. It would be well 
for you if your letter were laid before him in Tromsoe. You 
must, therefore, make his acquaintance ; you will, at best, know 
how to use your net.” 

With these words, leading Marstrand by the hand, he strode 
directly across the room to a spot where, upon the corner bench 
near the door, with other persons, sat the young man who had 
come with Ilda and Bjornarne. He was earnestly engaged in 
conversation with his neighbor, and Helgestad was obliged to 
shake him before he turned round, and directed his pale, 
j^ellowish, pock-marked face towards the trader. A forest of 
dark red hair covered his head, and his large, protruding eyes 
glittered under long red lashes. He arose in a friendly 
manner, and extended his hand to Marstrand, as Helgestad 
pointing to him, said : “ Here, Paul Petersen, here is a friend 
who desires to know you. He is from the south, from Copen- 
hagen, where you were so much pleased. I think you will suit 
each other, and will become friends. Is it not so ?” 

“Herr Marstrand,” said the young man, politely, “I heard 
of your arrival, and would have already called upon you, if I 
had not been detained by friends. You are welcome to the 
country, whose greatest glory, the fishery at Lofodden, you have 
just seen. I need not ask you what you think of it,” continued 
he, with a broad laugh ; “ one must have strong nerves for such 
enjoyments : if it is true that you propose to take up your abode 
among us, you will soon get accustomed to it, and, perhaps, in 
a few years, like these good people here, you will be involved 
in the same pleasures; who talk of them the whole year through, 
and eagerly look forward to their renewal in the next season.” 

°5 D 


50 


APR A J A. 


He cast a scrutinising glance upon the circle of dancers, and 
then invited the younker to take a seat upon the bench, where 
a couple of voigts and sorenshriver were sitting, whose acquaint- 
ance led to a long conversation about Copenhagen, and the life 
and manners of the capital, of which Paul Petersen had much 
to relate himself. He had resided there several years, studying 
law, and had practised in Christiana, and, by the influence of 
his uncle, had been placed in a desirable position in Tromsoe. 
His amusing anecdotes, and his friendly tone, did not fail to 
favorably impress Marstrand. Here, at length, was a person 
who spoke like an educated man, who had seen the world, and 
whose superior intellect manifested itself in everything he said 
and did. While Marstrand was obliged to drink punch and 
toddy with all the voigts and writers, he felt a growing par- 
tiality for the nephew of the voigt of Tromsoe, and at last he 
could pot refrain from cordially shaking him by the hand, and 
expressing his gratification at the acquisition of so valuable an 
acquaintance. 

“ It cannot be more so to you than to me, Herr Marstrand,” 
replied Petersen. “When you have been here a little longer, 
you will see what it is to have a friend with whom you can talk 
of men and the world.” 

“ And how have you endured,” said the younker, “ for so 
many long years, to talk of nothing but codfish, train-oil, her- 
rings, and eider-geese ?” 

Paul Petersen smilingly looked at his neighbor, who had not 
heard the strange remark, and said, “ I think we had better 
leave this tobacco, brandy, and fat-smelling ball-room, and take 
a little fresh air. The moon shines clear over the Westfiord, 
and lights up Salten, the islands, and the whole coast. It is a 
magnificent sight. I will conduct you to an eminence, and I 
think the walk will do us both good.” 

As they passed out, it was exactly as the secretary had said. 
Not ten steps before the door, the sea sported with its tranquil 
waters, and softly murmured against the moonlit rocks. The 


APR A J A. 


51 


fishing-grounds, so animated by day, lay perfectly still in the 
glowing flood. Peace was in nature, peace in the heavens and 
on earth, peace even in the great kingdom of the deep. A 
sublime, holy tranquillity everywhere prevailed, except in the 
little inn, where the noise of the trumpet and flute, and the 
tread of the dancers, yet resounded. Upon the threshold, Paul 
Petersen stopped his new friend, and drew him to one of the 
illuminated windows.. “You asked me, what induced me to 
live among these people ? I will tell you. The same longing 
for this wild, rocky land, which seizes every one who has ever 
set foot upon it. Do you see the man there in the corner ? He 
is the sorenskriver of Steilve, a rock on the end of the Lofod- 
den group, where he has lived for ten years. It is a savage 
spot, a wilder and more dreary one does not exist; and yet he 
formerly lived in Christiana, and belongs to a distinguished 
family. But his post brings him fully five thousand species 
annually; therefore he remains there, and hoards up his money. 
Observe the voigts of Salten and Hindoen ; they have double 
the income of the best voigt stations in all Norway; and now, 
reflect upon this, Herr Marstrand — whoever comes here will 
make money and grow rich. Even the miserable Lapp, who 
drives his reindeer in the wilderness, gathers his silver species , 
and buries them. You also, Herr Marstrand, will catch this 
wonderful love of traffic; and you are already under its 
influence.” 

“Thus far, I feel but little of it,” said Marstrand, 
laughing. 

“ Ha, ha !” exclaimed the secretary, “ I deny it. You set foot 
for the first time to-day in Lofodden, and your whole cash has 
been invested in a bold speculation. You, a man of noble 
descent, who look with contempt upon fish traders, you have 
caught the fever of speculation which prevails in this trafficking 
community. Once more, Herr Marstrand, I say there is no ono 
here who does not seek, by some process or other, to get rich ; 
and I forewarn you that you will be seized by the same avari- 


\ 


52 


A F R A J A . 


cious passion, and that you will cling to these rocks, if you 
succeed in your present venture.” 

“ And why shall I not succeed, Herr Petersen ?” replied 
Marstrand. “I came here to settle, and I think the counsel 
of the friend who encouraged me to my first speculation was a 
good one.” 

“It may be,” said the secretary; “no one knows. Luck or 
accident decides in all such affairs. You may rest assured, 
however, that Niels Helgestad does nothing to his own 
disadvantage.” 

“What benefit can he expect to derive from this affair?” 

Paul Petersen ceased speaking, and both proceeded to a 
narrow, steep path between the rocks, which lay concealed in 
the darkness. The secretary suddenly stood still, and said, “ If, 
for example, Niels Helgestad had received a cargo of salt in 
his yacht from Trondheim, which he could sell at a profit to the 
people here, who indeed have fish, but no ready money, and if 
he could procure them a purchaser of two thousand vaagen of 
fish, at a good price in species, and pocket the same for his salt, 
it is evident, Herr Marstrand, that he knows how to advance 
his own interests.” 

“Is your illustration drawn from the reality?” inquired 
Marstrand. 

“ I will not assert it — G-od defend me ! But among the many 
crafty heads here, Niels Helgestad is the craftiest. ‘ He hears/ 
as his neighbors say, ‘the grass grow/ and no one ever reaped 
where he sowed. You came with Bjbrnarne from Trondheim. 
He is a good, honest fellow, yet entirely subservient to the will 
of his father. The maiden I Ida, on the contrary, has more of 
her father’s mind. She knows how to promote her own 
interests; and she is, withal, so demure and modest, that 
she is regarded as a model for all the young girls in the land.” 

A feeling of aversion against the secretary was excited in 
Marstrand. “ It seems,” said he, “as if you did not participate 
in this opinion.” 


A FRA J A. 


53 


<( I ?” replied his companion, smiling. 11 It may be that I, 
as others, think differently, and have my own view of things. 
But she is a discreet and intelligent girl — cold, prudent, and 
proud. No one,” rejoined Petersen, a can boast of her favor, 
although many have sought for it. Miss Ilda is indeed a 
precious prize , for Niels Helgestad is rated to he worth much 
more than a hundred thousand species. Position, rank, and 
title are laughed at here, Herr Marstrand ; smooth thalers, 
yachts, and trading-posts are alone held in esteem. I have 
heard that you are going to Lyngenfiord with Helgestad.” 

u I have been invited to go there,” said the younker. 

u Have you traced out a plan for your future career ?” asked 
his friend. 

Marstrand thought of Helgestad’ s admonition. “ I have not 
yet decided upon anything.” 

“ Come to Tromsoe, then,” said Petersen. u It will give mo 
pleasure to be useful to you. I have some influence with my 
uncle, who perhaps will be able to provide for you. It would 
be best to buy a trading-post, hut they are dear, and new ones 
are not to he obtained but by the express concession of govern- 
ment. The shop-dealing in the fiords, the fish and feather trade, 
all yield money, if speculations are successful; but one must 
have considerable skill and experience, and years often elapse 
before a lucky hit is made. Settle yourself in Tromsoe ; the 
government will make it a place of trade. Establish an oil- 
factory there, or set up a commission business ; perhaps you will 
grow rich in time, and then you can flee from this land of cod- 
fish and herring, and return to fair Copenhagen, which you, no 
doubt, would he glad to do as soon as possible.” 

Marstrand said nothing, for, at that moment, they passed 
between the rocks, and stood now on the edge of the hay, close 
to the Westfiord. Before them, the trading vessels swayed to 
and fro on the gently-heaving sea. The moon hung over the 
needlc-like peaks of Salten, and revealed with its rays the whole 
chain of these wild mountains, with their gleaming ice-slopes 
5 * 


51 


A F R A J A . 


and snow-fields. This vast panorama of land and sea, overhung 
by night and shadow, lay immovable and impenetrable before 
them. A death-like silence had settled upon the scene, and 
only from time to time a wave leaped against a sea-encompassed 
rock, and broke in foam and yest — or a stone, loosened from 
the steep sides of the mountain, bounded downwards — or a puff 
of wind, with a sullen moan, escaped from the cragged summits 
of the Old Man of Vaagoen, and softly whimpered through the 
rigging of the yachts and brigs. 

After a long silence, Paul Petersen resumed ; “ There can be 
nothing wilder, in the whole world, than this Westfiord and the 
Lofodden — this fearful array of cliffs, glaciers, black rocks, and 
sea. But I have often gazed upon it, and you will probably 
look upon the view oftener than will be agreeable. Let us 
return.” 

The Danish younker did not heed the suggestion. He sat 
down upon a block of rock, and folded his arms upon his breast. 

u Do you intend to remain here ?” asked the secretary. 

“ Yes ; leave me alone.” 

“ Very well ; but take care not to slide off, and forget not the 
reality in your philosophising. Close to these rocks the sea is 
four hundred feet deep. And now, one more word of advice, 
Herr Marstrand. Beware of subtilities. Here, on land, every 
one must keep his eyes open, and not indulge in poetical dreams. 
The jagged rock there is a stone; the glacier above, cold ice; 
and the sea, salt water, in which the useful cod swims.” He 
regarded the Dane, upon whose face the moon was shining, and 
continued, with a smile ; “ Beturn soon, take a glass of hot 
toddy, and dance a Nordland fandango with Miss Ilda — her 
consent will not be withheld.” 

“ By heavens ! I believe he is right,” exclaimed Marstrand, 
as he was left alone. “ Here every one stands upon his own 
legs, and only a fool could suppose he would lend them to 
another. There is no doubt that the old Helgestad pirated off 
my money to get rid of his salt, and that he would not feel the 


APRAJA. 


55 


slightest compunction of conscience if I were stripped of my 
last farthiDg. Henceforward I will keep my eyes open, and it 
will he difficult for them to deceive me; and this fool of a 
secretary, who regards me as his rival, as if I were in a condi- 
tion to soften the iron heart of the Inaiden Ilda” — he broke off, 
and fixed his eyes upon the flitting clouds, which, loosened from 
the rocks of Salten, sailed away in vapory forms to the south- 
ward. “ I wish I could accompany you, and yet I must remain 
here. The sagacious bursche was again right; I cannot already 
leave this bewitched land, where one lives and loves, with an 
insatiable thirst for money and riches, to heap up between these 
naked rocks.” 

At this moment he heard a rustling behind him, and, as he 
looked up, Miss Ilda stood alongside of him. “ I have come 
to seek you, John Marstrand,” said she, “ because Paul Peter- 
sen told me you were sitting here on the cliff, talking to the 
moon, and were invoking the old Nornes, with their enchanted 
songs, to chase sorrow from your heart.” 

“ Paul Petersen is a fool,” replied Marstrand, and his coun- 
tenance glowed with a deep red flush. 

“ He is no fool,” continued Ilda, “ he knows well what he 
does ; but you must not give him occasion to ridicule you.” 

“ Well and good, let him jest — I jest also upon myself.” 

She approached nearer to him, and looked him earnestly in 
the eye. The moon lighted up her open, firm-set features, and 
she gently shook her head, as, in a reproving tone, she replied, 
“ You must not. He who makes a jest of himself must either 
be very foolish or very unhappy. You are neither.” 

“ And if I were, Miss Ilda?” ■ 

“The men of the south must be very giddy-minded,” re- 
sponded she, smiling; “yet you have something in your eye 
that speaks to the contrary. Unhappy you are not, if you are 
a man who knows how to support the heavy burden of life. 
You seek to win a new home, and you must have courage. To- 
morrow we leave for Lyngenfiord — you will see how beautiful it 


56 AFRAJA. 

is with us. We shall also exert ourselves to make it agreeable 
to you.” 

“ Will you also have a care for me ?” inquired Marstrand, 
extending her his hand. 

« Will I?” replied she, kindly; “to be sure I will.” 

They stood opposite to each other. Thankfully he gazed 
in her face, upon which the moon shed a flood of light. 

“You must now accompany me,” said Ilda. “I ask you to 
dance — you will not refuse me ?” 

“ Certainly not.” 

“ So, come, you have already been missed.” 

He went with her, and the ball in Ostvaagoen soon had one 
dancer more. 


CHAPTER III. 

On the second morning after this fete , the Fair Hda of Ore- 
naes weighed anchor, and sailed through the sound of Hindoen 
to the north. Niels Helgestad had been engaged the whole 
day through in his business, and had finished it too late to avail 
himself of the flood tide. He had disposed df his salt, crammed 
his yacht with large barrels of train-oil and fish-heads, inspected 
his fish-scaffolds, and had delivered Marstrand’s stores to their 
proprietors, upon whom he disinterestedly bestowed some sound 
advice, and the benefits of his experience, until at last, late in 
the evening, all was ready ; with the earliest dawn, the great 
sail of the yacht was loosened to the breeze. Bjornarne 
remained behind with the boats and the fishing-tackle, which 
he was to bring home, with his father’s second yacht. 

When Marstrand came on deck, the Lofodden already lay far 
in the distance, behind a screen of dark cloud, above which the 


AFRAJA. 


57 


peaks of Ostyaagen rose preeminent. It all seemed to kirn as 
a dream. He could scarcely conceive that there, behind the 
cliffs, his codfish were swinging on the scaffolds ; as a wild snow- 
blast broke loose, and enveloped land and sea, he felt all the 
cares of a proprietor, and his anxiety about his property drove 
him, in a meditative mood, up and down the deck. 

“ Nuh !” exclaimed old Ilelgestad, pleasantly, as he came up 
from below, and observed Marstrand, dressed in a leathern coat, 
lined with green frieze, and wearing a heavy cap of reindeer’s- 
skin, after the manner of the traders, all of which he had 
bought, at the suggestion of Ilda, in Ostvaagen. “Now you 
look like a respectable man. You acted wisely in throwing off 
a dress unsuitable to the country ; you may lay it up in your 
trunk as a reminiscence for your children.” 

“Snow and storm are gathering over the Lofodden, Herr 
Helgestad,” said Marstrand. 

“You are already anxious?” rejoined the old trader, laugh- 
ing. “ It is a good sign, when you have your goods in eye ; 
there is no occasion for alarm. Snow-storms and bad weather 
prevail down to June ; your fish, however, hang as securely as 
in the bosom of Abraham.” 

“ And have you no fear lest strange hands may carry them 
off, or change them ?” 

“ Who will take them ?” replied Helgestad, impatiently. 
“ Every one here knows his own — we have no fear in Nordland 
of thieves; such robbery would be the greatest disgrace a man 
could bring upon himself.” 

Thus assured, Marstrand was able the more contentedly to 
get through that and the three following days, which he passed 
on board the yacht, as she glided through the sounds and fiords. 
The heavy craft, at last, with stream and wind, shot through 
the channel of Tromsoe, where the church, surrounded by a 
few red-painted log and frame houses, rose before the sight of 
th.3 voyagers. 

“We will not pass by our chief town without exhibiting your 


58 


AFRAJA. 


land patent to Voigt Peter Paulsen/’ said Helgestad; “for, 
between ourselves, it would be better if we could secure its 
registration on the spot, before the return of Paul Petersen to 
his uncle’s house.” He slily winked his eyes, and continued ; 
“This is a fine visit, Herr: and Voigt Paulsen is a man who 
esteems a handsome dress. Put on your best coat, and hang 
that thing by your side, which you have down in the cabin. 
Some day, hereafter, you can make a capital harpoon out 
of it. Hold there ! to land, Niels,” he shouted to the man at 
the helm, “ and hurry, for we have no time to lose.” 

As Marstrand put on his gold-embroidered coat, and with 
his sword by his side, and his plumed hat in hand, re-entered 
the cabin, Miss Ilda sat near the stove, watching the cooking 
meal, and mending the fur cloak of her father. Her .head was 
closely bent over her work, and her large fingers diligently plied 
the needle. 

He had often, of late, seen and spoken with Ilda, without, 
in the least, becoming more intimate than on the first acquaint- 
ance. The earnestness of her disposition, and her retiring 
nature, remained the same, and prevented any familiar inter- 
course. Monosyllabic answers were given to all his inquiries ; 
she quietly listened to his narrations, with but little comment, 
and only, sometimes, when Marstrand expressed an opinion, 
could he observe any particular interest on her part. 

“ By heavens !” said he, as he for hours paced the deck, “ it 
is uncomfortable to be in the society of this iron-hearted 
maiden. If ‘ silence is the charm of women,’ as the old Greeks 
insisted, she would fill up their beau ideal. Her eye is motion- 
less, and not a feature of her countenance changes, and yet she 
is intelligent. There is always something in her remarks which 
excites attention, but in the next moment, my dislike to her 
increases.” 

As he now, in his dazzling red coat, stood before her, he 
flattered himself that his stately figure and costume could not 
fail to make an impression upon her. He did not exactly know 


AFRAJA. 


59 


why he should seek to please her; and he felt vexed, when he 
saw her so complacently look at him, from her seat, and then 
resume her work. 

Marstrand passed by her in dumb silence to the door, from 
which, as he opened it, he turned and said : “ Adieu, Mis« 
Ilda.” 

“ Are you going to Tromsoe ?” said she. 

“ I am to present my land patent to the voigt. It may be, 
that I shall remain there.” 

“ Farewell, Herr ! God’s peace accompany you !” 

Marstrand, nettled at this cool salutation, hounded up the 
steps, with the firm intention of remaining at Tromsoe. 
Helgestad, who was on deck awaiting him, wrapped up in his 
leather coat, laughed outright as he espied the Dane. “ Nuh !” 
he exclaimed, “ St. Olaf protect us. You look like a boiled 
lobster. You will, no doubt, be glad when you can again lay 
aside this foolish embroidered coat; and we shall, therefore, 
settle our business with Yoigt Paulsen as soon as possible. You 
must, however, throw something over it ; otherwise, we shall 
have all the boys at our heels, who will think that Niels 
Helgestad has caught a wild man in the woods, for exhibition.” 

With a hearty burst of laughter, he descended to the boat, 
whilst the yacht lazily furled her sail, and came to anchor close 
under the land. Marstrand followed him, and the boat was soon 
rowed to the landing, where a crowd of laborers, fishermen, and 
custom-house officers had gathered. 

Helgestad was well known in this, then the northernmost 
emporium of trade in Europe. His yacht was the first to return 
from the fishing-grounds, and she was hailed with shouts of joy. 
Everybody pressed upon him with inquiries, and expressed their 
gratification at the news with a triple hurrah, in which Lapps, 
Quanes, and Normen all joined. The whole throng then 
accompanied the trader, who took his companion by the arm, 
to where a semi-circle of houses of better appearance, of which 
one was the voigt’s, stood. 


6a 


AFRAJA. 


Tromsoe at that period did not, as now, possess municipal 
privileges ; but it was the first mart and lading-place of Finn- 
mark, although it contained a population of only 600 persons. 
Finnmark, also, had no Amtmann; but the Yoigt of Tromsoe 
was the highest magistrate, and his authority extended from 
Lofodden to the North Cape, a coast-land of one hundred miles; 
he received tribute from the Lapland tribes, and granted permits 
of settlement to the Quanes or Finlanders, who wandered over 
from the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia; throughout this whole 
region, he exercised police functions, and administered justice. 
The Yoigt of Tromsoe was, consequently, a royal governor, 
stadtholder, and supreme judge — an important, influential 
person, whose services were compensated, not so much by a 
large salary, as by extraordinary sources of income : his favor 
was, also, rarely to be gained but by large gifts. 

“ Now, let me look to it,” said Helgestad, with a sly wink, 
as he pushed Marstrand up the steps which led to the wooden 
palace of the voigt. He opened the door, and entered through 
the vestibule into the sitting-room, leaving his companion to 
follow him. Marstrand remained standing on the threshold, 
and surveying the dreary-looking room, whose walls were 
painted in dark red oil colors. A number of huge chairs, of 
Norwegian birch, stood around a table full of glasses and 
bottles, and behind them sat two men, of whom one, in a dark 
garment, with a care-worn and reverend aspect, and silvery 
white hair, appeared to be a clergyman. The other, who wore a 
fur robe of wolf s-skin, was, beyond doubt, the high officer who 
ruled over Finnmark. His sharp grey eyes glimmered from 
beneath a low brow, and, from the coppery red of his nose and 
cheeks, it was evident that the punch-glass before him had, 
in the course of the year, been plied with persevering assiduity. 

As Helgestad opened the door, the voigt looked up. “ Is it 
you ?” exclaimed he, with a loud, hard voice. “ You are wel- 
come, Niels ! You come from Lofodden. It is a lucky year, 
which will fill your pockets with gold.” 


AFRAJA. 


61 


“God grant it!” said the trader, shaking hands with the 
voigt. 

“ Have you seen my nephew, Niels ?” he continued. 

“ Certainly, Voigt; and my Ilda danced with him until day- 
break. He is an active, good-humored fellow. I like him 
much.” 

“ Sit down, friend Niels. Take a glass of punch, and try 
my Holland canaster. 

“ I think you and the parson have already given it a thorough 
trial,” said Helgestad ; “ the house is so full of smoke, that I 
can hardly recognise his reverence.” 

“ No, no !” said the voigt, smiling. “ Klaus Hornemann 
will not touch the smoking weed. He differs from all other 
parsons, who never let a full glass stand before them. You know 
him, Niels. But,” observing Marstrand, “whom have you 
brought with you.” 

“It is a Danish Herr,” replied the merchant, “who has 
business in the land. He came with me from Lofodden, where 
he contracted a friendship with your nephew, and is here to 
pay his uncle a visit.” 

“ You are welcome in my house,” said the voigt, who, when 
in his visitor he recognized an officer, and, in the farther course 
of conversation, learned that he was a gentleman of the bed- 
chamber, and of ancient, noble stock, felt himself greatly 
complimented. With Norman hospitality, he insisted on his 
eating and drinking with him; but his cordiality evidently 
cooled off, as Helgestad said ; “ I think you will often see the 
gentleman, and drink many a hot glass with him. He will 
remain in the country, and has brought a royal letter with 
him. Nuh ! you wish him good-luck in the affair; is it not 
so ?” 

The voigt measured the young lord with mistrustful eye. 
“ By heavens ! I would not have believed such to be his inten- 
tion. It is a hard undertaking for white hands. Hav^ you 
devised a plan, Herr Marstrand, to begin with ?” 

6 


AFRAJA. 


02 


The younker looked at his friend, who made a slight sign of 
negation. 

“ I have no plan, Herr Voigt,” he replied; “and I am 
entirely unacquainted with the state of things.” 

The voigt regarded him with a greedy, searching look, 
“ Where is your donation letter ?” he inquired. 

“ Here is the original,” responded Marstrand, as he drew it 
from his pocket. 

“ Shall select such land as suits him,” muttered the voigt? 
reading ; “ also trading-posts establish, and carry on trade and 
fishing. It is a wonder our masters in Copenhagen do not give 
all the land away,” he rejoined, smiling; “they are very 
common, these donation letters.” He scrutinised Marstrand, 
and said, “ Has my nephew, Paul, also read it ?” 

“ Certainly he has;” replied Helgestad, in Marstrand’s place, 
“ he read it twice.” 

u And what did he say 

11 He desired me to visit him in Tromsoe, and to ask your 
advice,” replied Marstrand, impatiently. 

“With all my heart, Herr Marstrand,” said the voigt; “ we 
will consider it maturely — I will give it all my study. There 
are, however, many kinds of donation letters, and we have also 
laws and prescriptions, which must he observed. At present, 
every one insists upon his pretensions, and even the Lapps have 
their claims. About this very matter, Helgestad, pastor 
Hornemann comes to Tromsoe. He complains that the people 
are maltreated by traders and law-officers, who take their 
old pasture-grounds, and, moreover, rob, exact illegal taxes, 
plunder, despoil, vex, and trample their rights under foot. I 
have too much trouble with other people, to annoy myself with' 
, such scoundrels, who set all law and order at defiance.” 

“You do the poor, harassed people injustice,” replied the 
pastor, in a mild tone. “ God created them as well as us; and 
if we are superior to them in education and manners, we have 
a double duty to help them. Our holy religion commands 


A F R A J A . 


63 


me, in the name of humanity and justice, to intercede for 
them.” 

“ For Christians, do what you please, Herr,” exclaimed the 
voigt ; u convert also on my account these reindeer-drivers from 
the worship of Jubinal and Pekel, hut do not make yourself 
the ambassador of the old villain Afraja, who is one of the 
veriest scamps that ever trod on reindeer-leather. There is no 
greater plague in all Finnmark, than this vicious and depraved 
race.” 

These last words Herr Paulsen directed to Marstrand, who, 
unmoved by his rude remarks to the pastor, for whom he had 
conceived a high regard, responded, in a decided tone ; u They 
are subjects of the king, Herr Voigt, and it certainly is the 
intention of his Majesty, that no injustice should be committed, 
even against the most humble, be he Christian or heathen > 
Dane, Norman, or Lapp.” 

The voigt was evidently astonished at the tone of the 
speaker, and his eyes glowed with a vindictive and malicious 
expression. u I have a word to say to you, voigt,” said Helge- 
stad, interrupting. 

He took the letter from the table, and led Paulsen to the 
farthest corner, by a window, where he began a whispering 
conversation with him. From the few disjointed words that 
reached him, Marstrand could not doubt but that Helgestad 
was endeavoring to persuade the voigt to a recognition of the 
patent, to its registration, and to the granting of permission for 
the selection of the land he desired. 

What arguments he advanced were, of course, unknown to 
him; but that his protector spared no kind of inducement 
which could influence the voigt, was evident from the zeal with 
which he sought to overcome the apparent reluctance of the 
latter to accede to his request. At last, Helgestad seemed to 
have prevailed, for he took the voigt by the hand, and said, 
half aloud; “ I think you know me, voigt — you may rely upon 
me — I will be responsible.” 


64 


A F R A J A . 


“ Good, Niels,” said the voigt ; “ I will do the Herr the favor 
— hut it is also a duty to act with circumspection. I should, 
above all things, wait for my nephew Paul, who understands 
the question. Come in my office, and we will settle the affair 
on the spot.” 

Both withdrew, and when they had gone, the pastor pressed 
the hand of Marstrand. “ Receive my thanks for your kind 
word; it does my heart good to know a man who raises his 
voice in behalf of the oppressed.” 

“ It requires more than a word,” replied the Dane ; “ and I 
fear no one here has the disposition to sustain your noble 
zeal.” 

“ You are right, my young friend,” said the pastor, with a 
sigh. “ Alas ! there are but few men in this country who do 
not curse and despise the unfortunate races of people who live 
among us, in a wild and savage state ; but there are some good 
souls, into whose hearts heaven has infused love and compas- 
sion. You are to live among us ; promise me always to be a 
protector and intercessor between the oppressed and their 
oppressors.” 

“I cheerfully promise it,” said Marstrand, “for I abominate- 
injustice.” 

“ And I,” continued the pastor, smiling, “ for forty years 
have labored to awaken a feeling of justice and Christian love 
among these hard rocky wastes.” 

“As the Yoigt of Tromsoe, himself, has so little sense of 
right, there can be but little reliance placed upon his protec- 
tion of those subjected to his rule,” responded the young 
man. 

“ Hush ! hush !” whispered Klaus Hornemann, “ we will not 
complain of the weaknesses of mankind. Nothing is more 
difficult than a contest with the prejudices of the age : and are 
there not many outcasts on earth ? Do not millions suffer on 
account of bitter wrong? Did not the purest and best of 
mortals expire upon the cross? The time will come, when 


A F 11 A J A . 


65 


men will grow better — when they will earnestly seek for 
truth and light. We must strive to lead them thither; that is 
wir task.” 

Here the conversation was interrupted by the entrance of the 
roigt and Helgestad; and, with as much courtesy as he was 
Piaster of, Herr Paulsen went up to Marstrand, and delivered 
him a sealed paper. 

“ I have recognised the justice of your request, Herr Mar- 
strand, and the letter of his Majesty has been entered in the 
Register. Permission is granted you to choose at-will the land 
assigned to you ; as soon as you have made a selection, a deed 
of possession shall be made out And now, as much luck, Herr 
Baron, as you can desire. Should you need counsel, come to 
Tromsoe. You are, however, in the best hands. Niels Ilelge- 
stad will supply my place ; you could not find a more prudent 
man.” 

His eye turned from Marstrand to the old trader, who silently 
took his hat, and, at the same time, swung off a full glass. 
“ Pour on, voigt !” he exclaimed. “ A ship in a storm knows 
not whether she will ever reach port again ; let every one keep 
his eyes open against rocks and shoals; and now let us drink 
to the fulfilment of all our wishes.” 

“ Right, Niels,” shouted Paulsen, heartily; “ may all our 
wishes be fulfilled. Will you not stay with me ?” 

“ No, voigt, it is impossible.” 

“Go, then, with God’s blessing! Remember me to Miss 
Ilda ; I will bet that Paul is not absent long. The beautiful 
girl ! she turns the heads of all the young men. You are par- 
ticularly fortunate, Herr Marstrand, to travel in such society; 
but take care of your heart, Herr, it is a ticklish thing to 
manage. Another glass, Niels, to the health of Miss Ilda. 
Ten thousand devils ! yet another ; Paul would not forgive us, 
if we forgot to toast Ilda.” 

The voigt would receive no refusals of compliance with his 
request ; but, at last, his guests rising to depart, he accompa- 
6* E 


G6 


A FRA J A. 


nied them to the head of the steps, and stood shouting after 
them, in the darkness of the night, greetings to Ilda. 

Helgestad, in the meantime, reviewed the store-houses and 
buildings, and appeared to be buried in thought; finally he 
said, “ Nothing more stands in your way, Herr Marstrand ; you 
could dispose of your affair as you pleased, but it was not your 
merit that secured the validity of your letter.” 

“I know how much I am indebted to you,” replied 
Marstrand. 

“Null !” rejoined the trader, “it was no witchcraft — but you 
could have obtained it more easily, if you had been more 
prudent. Who asked you to be an advocate for the Lapps? I 
think, however, you were excited by the pious Klaus Horne- 
mann, who has had the folly, from youth upward, to lie in the 
gamme with the rabble, to endeavor to make decent, respectable 
men of them. When you know them, you will see the folly of 
wasting words with such a clan of thieves and sharpers.” 

The boat was again alongside of the yacht, and now, as he 
again mounted the ladder, a thought of Ilda came over the 
Dane. He did not wait for old Helgestad, but he bounded 
forward to the poop cabin, and lightly descended the steps, and 
looked through the half-opened door. The young girl sat at 
her work, but the needle rested in her hand. Her fingers were 
closed; silently, in deep meditation, she communed with her 
thoughts, and this melancholy earnestness gave her countenance 
a noble and more beautiful expression. The noise at the door 
aroused her, and, as she looked up, she saw him standing 
there. 

A semblance of joy illumined her features, and, as he 
extended her his hand, he felt, as he thought, a slight tremor. 
‘ ‘ Here am I again,” he exclaimed, “ and right glad am I to see 
you.” 

She looked at him with a smile, as if she wished to discover 
the truth. 11 1 am as glad as you,” she answered. 

u And, as I think, I shall not soon again leave you,” he con- 


AF11AJA. 


07 


tinued. u My land patent is admitted — your father has procured 
its registration. I am at liberty to select my land, and to 
build my house where I please. It will be in your neighbor- 
hood, if you do not object.” 

" You know we all bear you good-will,” she rejoined 

“ How strange I find myself in this red and golden dress,” con- 
tinued he. “ Your father is right — it is hot and uncomfortable. 
The fur coat and the leathern cape, that is the costume which 
becomes me; and I impatiently await the time when I can 
convert this useless sword into a harpoon.” 

The regard of the maiden grew more friendly as he spoke. 
A soft glow animated her dark blue eyes, and, with evident 
sympathy, she replied, “ I am glad to hear that, John Marstrand. 
You will soon accustom yourself to your new country.” 

“ As it seems, I please you more in this leathern jacket than 
in my embroidered coat.” 

The cold tranquillity of her disposition immediately took the 
place of friendship, and, as she resumed her needle, she said ; 
“ There comes my father, and he will be surprised to find you 
in the dazzling coat which, as you say, is annoying to you.” 

With no little vexation at himself and Ilda, Marstrand 
withdrew; but as he entered again, clad in his Norwegian 
jacket, he was heartily received by Helgestad. Ilda had, in 
the meantime, arranged the table, and while the yacht, with a 
fresh breeze, was driven along in the moonlit night, the voyagers 
sat up late together; for Helgestad constantly kept alive the 
attention of Marstrand with his many and curious anecdotes. 

It was not merely accidental, also, that he fell into conversa- 
tion about his domestic affairs, and it in some degree confirmed 
what Paul Petersen had said of him. “ It is a rare thing to 
find sound sense and talent among men, and there are few who 
seriously ponder upon their conduct — many thoughtlessly run 
to ruin. Nuh ! every man has his peculiarities; it would be 
to me the greatest earthly sorrow, to live to sec my children 
frivolous and wasteful.” 


68 


AFRAJA. 


Ilda raised her head, and gazed at her father inquiringly. 

“ Nuh !” he continued, “ I am sure nothing of the kind will 
occur. I have trained them up to good morals and obedience; 
I will never permit anything to the contrary. I have frankly 
declared my principles. Last year, a man came to me — he was 
a gallant fellow, I must confess, knew how to drive a specula- 
tion, and had some bottom. ‘Look at me, Niels Helgestad/ 
said he ; ‘ am I not a proper man for your daughter V ‘ Do you 
think so V I asked, ‘ I do/ said he. ‘And I do not/ I replied. 
‘Wherefore V he responded. ‘I will tell you/ I rejoined; and 
X conducted him to the window, showed him, in silence, my 
yachts in the fiord, my store-houses there, opened my credit- 
book, and exhibited its contents, and, unlocking my closets, 
gave him a glance therein. ‘ Now you know it/ said I ; ‘ I think 
you understand/ ‘I understand your meaning/ he replied; 
‘ but what says Miss Ilda V Thereupon the maiden laughed 
out, and said ; ‘ My father has calculated well ; he knows me, 
and what is suitable for me/ Is it not so, Ilda V * 

“Precisely so, father,” responded Ilda; “and I think it will 
always be so.” 

As the moon had set, the yacht anchored in a sound ; for it 
is impossible, even for the most experienced pilots, to steer a 
foot in the darkness in these rocky mazes. 

Marstrand lay a long time in a sleepless state upon his bed, 
reflecting upon what he had heard. “ If, indeed,” thought he, 
“ that was intended as a hint to me, it has not fallen upon stony 
ground. I will, henceforward, relieve this calculating beauty 
from her scruples. It would, surely, be madness for me to 
deprive myself of the confidence of the only friends that I 
possess.” 

He awoke late in the morning : it was bright day, and over 
his head the bustle had already begun. He jumped up, hurried 
on his clothes, and entered the cabin, without finding any one 
there. He then repaired to the deck, where he arrived just in 
time to see the vessel enter a broad bay, at the end of which, 


AFR A J A, 


69 


between some low rocks, a yacht and several boats lay at anchor; ' 
before them was a large store-house, built on piles over the 
water. 

Ilda stood on the bow, and gave him a friendly nod as he 
approached. “ You have slept too long, or you would have seen 
the Lyngenfiord. Far in the distance there, you can yet see the 
church of Lyngen; and yonder tumbles the Snibotsjok, with 
its feathery foam of water, from the Lapland mountains.” 

“And there, behind the rocky point, no doubt, lies your 
father’s house ?” 

“ You have guessed aright,” said she ; “ it is the Gaard von 
Ostvaagoen. Does it please you ?” 

The Dane regarded the jagged walls of rock, which heaved 
up their splintered, and ice and snow-covered precipices. Above 
lay the snow, and higher rose the lofty peaks, shooting up in 
dazzling lines, and breaking away into vast plains of ice. He 
gave no answer. 

“ You will find it beautiful in summer,” said Ilda, “ when 
the birches everywhere put on their green livery, when grass 
and flowers surround our little brook, and the brown Ptarmigen 
come down from the mountains.” 

At this moment the yacht doubled the promontory, and 
revealed the house of the trader, close at hand. It lay behind some 
store-houses, upon rising ground, between a birch wood and the 
mountain which formed a crescent around it. Painted red, 
with white windows, a dozen small birchen and clay huts along- 
side, and in front a great warehouse, it made quite an imposing 
appearance. From its birch-wood roof, a large flag waved in 
welcome of the lord of the house ; and, as the yacht drew near 
to the pile wharf, a loud hurrah arose from the ships and boats. 
All the inhabitants and dependents of the Gaard threw them- 
selves into boats, and rowed to meet the long-wished-for, home- 
returning vessel. In a few minutes more, a dozen women and 
children clambered up the sides on deck; and Marstrand 
thought he had never seen such extraordinary human 


70 


AFRAJA. 


figures as these, which, like so many demons, overran the 
ship. 

They were the families of the fishermen who had gone to 
Lofodden, and who now, with riotous shouts, hailed the return 
of their fathers and husbands. Long, yellow, and shaggy hair 
almost covered over their strong, bony faces; fur jackets and 
coats enveloped their bodies. The men of Gaard, in their 
leathern capes and fur caps, and the sailors, in their huge caps 
and brown jackets, made up a variegated maze of figures, which 
did not settle into order until the yacht was brought to at the 
pile-work, and all had time tranquilly to recount their adven- 
tures. Helgestad had enough to do in giving the necessary 
orders, and in listening to the reports of his steward, who was 
the most important person in the crowd. Miss Ilda was greeted 
and occupied by others, and Marstrand followed their steps in 
silence. Inquiring, curious glances fastened upon the stranger, 
but no one troubled himself further about him — and the deep 
guttural tones of this wild population, almost incomprehensible 
by him, completed the sense of abandonment which he felt. 
Near to the house, his roving eyes directed themselves upon an 
object which aroused his interest. Ilda’s loud voice was heard 
above the din, calling to a young girl, who hurriedly ran down 
the steep ground, threw her arms about Ilda’s neck, and covered 
her with kisses and embraces. 

“ God’s peace be with you, Gula !” said the daughter of the 
trader, as the first storm of caresses was over. “ How have 
you been ?” 

“ Very well, my beloved sister/’ she responded, with renewed 
tenderness; “and are you all well — and Bjornarne?” 

“ All well, Gula! Bjornarne comes with the yacht. There 
was a great catch, Gula, and we have had much pleasure. No 
cask is empty. I do not come alone, also,” she continued, as 
she turned" her regards to Marstrand, by her side. “ We bring 
a guest, a Danish gentleman, who has come to take up his abode 
among us.” 

O 


AFE A J A. 


71 


Gula observed the stranger with a scrutinising stare. Her 
large black eyes glowed with surprise, until she modestly with- 
drew them, and her face became suffused with a deep blush. 
Marstrand himself was also not a little astounded; he had 
formed an entirely different idea of the Lapland maiden, from 
the reports of others. The Normans gave such frightful 
accounts of all that bore the name of Lapps, that it was almost 
impossible to conceive a member of this unhappy race to be 
anything else than a forlorn, monkey-like creature, whose 
ugliness was calculated to excite the most profound disgust; 
Gula gave the lie to all these prejudicial accounts. She was 
small, yet uncommonly elegant in shape, and of perfect propor- 
tions. Her dark robe fitted tightly around the waist, where it 
joined the boddice, which, in plaits, rose up high on the neck. 
Over it she wore a jacket of fine otter-skin, which was trimmed 
with the white feathery skin of Norwegian strand-birds. A 
chain of medals encircled her neck, and her shining black 
tresses, bound round with dark red ribbon, floated loosely over 
her shoulders. Such was the pleasing picture of a beautiful 
young girl, upon whom one gazed with delight, and whose 
small, fine face, with sparkling eyes, was, in spite of a yellowish 
skin, so well formed, and so admirably proportioned in all its 
features, that no one could refrain from regarding her as a most 
lovely and fascinating person. 

“ Ha l” said Ilda, laughingly, as she accompanied her 
friend to the house, “you have put on your Sunday attire 
to-day.” 

“ In your honor, Ilda,” she answered, “and because I thought 
Bjornarne would come with you; Bjornarne and your father, in 
short, all, all.” 

“ Father is here,” said Ilelgestad, catching the remark. 
“ God bless you, my little maiden ; you are dressed out like a 
swallow. It’s a pity that Paul Petersen cannot see you now — 
he would no more jest about you. Null !” he continued, as he 
shook Marstrand by the hand, “you are welcome to Gaard von 


72 


APRAJA. 


Orenaes, Herr ; and now let ns enter, and see what Gula has 
upon the table. You must be hungry and thirsty — a fresh wind 
is blowing from the Horfjeld cliffs.” 

He pushed his guest before him into the house, and they 
entered a . large, low room, where a spread table was standing. 
Gula ran into the kitchen, and brought in a smoking dish, in 
which a great piece of meat swam in a vegetable soup. Next 
were introduced salmon and haddock; also German potatoes, 
such as were brought by the yachts from Bergen. In a large 
basket lay thin, hard slices of oat-bread, and on the corner of 
the table were full bottles of gin, which the distilleries in 
Flensburg prepared for the traders of Finnmark. 

Helgestad and his companions devoted themselves so zealously 
to all these good things, that but few words were spoken during 
the repast. As the landlord, however, after rendering thanks 
to God for restoring him in health and plenty to Lyngenfiord, 
raised his glass, the conversation grew more animated, and it 
naturally soon turned upon Marstrand’ s future prospects. 

“ You will learn here,” said Helgestad, “ the domestic life 
of a Norwegian merchant — you are in a good school. It will 
be well, also, until Bjornarne returns, for you to assist me in 
all kinds of affairs — in pressing oil, in the ware-house, and also 
in selling and trading with the fishermen and the neighbors. 
You will, in this manner, learn to calculate, and it will be of 
service to you.” 

“ I am willing to learn, and you cannot give me too much to 
do,” said Marstrand. 

“Null !” rejoined Helgestad, “you are a capital fellow, and it 
will go better than you imagine. When Bjornarne returns, we 
will speak further. We must now see after the yacht, unload the 
barrels, and bring the livers under the presses. It is hard 
work, but it must be done ; nothing is effected in this world 
without an effort.” 

Marstrand declared that he was ready, and he was soon hard 
at work, with Helgestad, in the ware-house. Some dozen and 


APR A J A. 


73 


more of women and children turned the barrels out of the hold 
of the vessel, brought their contents under the oil-presses, and 
carried what was not immediately necessary into the store-house. 
Marstrand did not want in zeal or courage to prosecute the 
detested employment. But it was, as Helgestad had said, much 
easier than he had conceived. The old trader initiated him 
into the mysteries of his business, and instructed him how the 
clear white liver oil must be first drained off, then how the 
first pressing must be separated from the second, and how much 
higher price could be commanded in the sale, if proper discre- 
tion and care was exercised. After such a long spell of inac- 
tivity, labor was a real enjoyment for the young man, and he 
felt much stronger and more cheerful for it. The heavens hung 
clear and blue over the dusky fiord, which lost itself, in myste- 
rious indistinctness, among its precipitous crags. Fresh breezes 
blew from the snowy summits, the fish leaped from the sea, and 
the shrieking grey gulls swarmed around the vessels. 

As long as it was day, the work was vigorously prosecuted, 
and terminated only when the lights of Gaard shone through 
the twilight. The yacht was unladen, and Helgestad good- 
naturedly shook his fellow-laborer by the hand. 

“Nuh!” he exclaimed, “enough for to-day. It is more 
comfortable now by the stove, glass in hand.” 

They proceeded to the house, and entered the hall which 
divided the rooms on either side. The one side was the shop 
of the trader, which was filled with a great variety of stores. 
Helgestad introduced Marstrand within it, and showed him the 
angling-rods and fishing-tackle, together with the clothing and 
utensils used by fishermen and hunters. The large chests were 
filled with flour and vegetables ; iron-ware, cups, pots, and the 
most diverse kinds of things were huddled together on the 
shelves — hemp-lines, table and bed linen, thread, ribbon, and 
female finery were heaped up with fur-skins, scissors, hatchets, 
and arms; and, in short, there was nothing of utility in the 
country that was not to be found in this motley collection. 


74 


A FRA J A. 


“It is such a shop as ought to be,” said the trader, “and 
you can take a lesson from it. We will take care that you have 
such an assortment in your house.” 

Marstrand smiled doubfcingly. He could not yet conceive 
that he would wait on Lapps and fishermen, but he suppressed 
all scruples. Helgestad carried him further through the side- 
rooms, and showed him even the great brown-stained walnut 
bureau which he had brought with him, two years previously, 
from Bergen, and gave an insight into the drawers, where a 
large quantity of money was kept. At last, after making the 
round of the building, in which Helgestad led the way without 
a light, and steering through a maze of chests, sacks, and 
barrels, they returned to the sitting-room. This was exceedingly 
snug and comfortable. The beams were covered over with 
laths, painted in blue and white stripes ; the floor of Norwegian 
pine-wood, was perfectly white and clean. A sort of carpet of 
reindeer-skin lay near the fire-place, where stood chairs and 
tables. Around the walls ran ledges, upon which an array of 
tin vessels, burnished bright as silver, were arranged in long 
rows, and under this border, verses and extracts from Scripture 
were painted by an artistical hand. A pair of party-colored 
bureaus, and large chests, bound with brass, in which the women 
bring their dowry in marriage, a Holland looking-glass, in gilt 
frame, and an old English clock, together with a huge brick 
stove, made up the furniture of the side-wall. 

Helgestad stretched himself out at full length in his grand- 
father’s chair, and insisted upon Marstrand’s sitting opposite 
to him. “Push the table here, girls,” said he to Ilda and 
Gula, “ we are tired men, who have need of food and drink, 
and warmth.” 

The table was soon placed alongside of the stove, meat was 
served up, and Gula brought the tea-kettle, and prepared 
tumblers full of toddy. She perfectly understood her duty ; 
she performed her functions of cup-bearer, moreover, in such 
a taking, friendly manner, ran hither and thither with such 


A F It A J A. 


75 


light-footed readiness and good-nature, that Marstrand was 
equally gratified and surprised. Her dark eyes twinkled 
roguishly, as Helgestad, from time to time, extended her his 
empty glass ; and whilst Uda sat spinning wool, she whispered 
remarks in her ear, which were certainly very amusing, for the 
Serious maiden turned away her face from irrepressible laughter, 
and would hear no more. 

“ Nuh !” said the old merchant, when hunger and thirst 
seemed to be appeased, “you have come to a pause, Herr Mar- 
strand — you might as well fill up your time in another manner.” 
He beckoned to Gula, who perfectly understood what he meant, 
for she flew to a cupboard, and immediately returned with a 
small porcelain box, and two Holland clay-pipes. 

“ Yoigt Paulsen will find himself mistaken, in supposing that 
he alone possesses the genuine weed. This is pure Virginia; 
fill your pipe and empty your glass. Gula, the poor child, has 
been on the run for a quarter of an hour.” 

Marstrand reached his tumbler to the ready maiden, saying, 
“You are altogether too attentive, dear Gula; no king was 
ever so elegantly and perfectly served by his best page.” 

“ That is merited praise to Gula,” continued Helgestad. “ It 
must be confessed that she is an excellent girl; she has managed 
my house with judgment and sound sense, while we were at the 
Lofodden.” Here he stopped, for what he was on the point, of 
saying, notwithstanding his want of refinement, appeared to him 
not to be exactly proper ; but he continued, in a more moderate 
tone; “Would it were in my power to prove to you how highly 
I esteem you — but, I imagine, you know it already. Is it not 
so ?” 

“Yes, Herr,” answered Gula, softly; and her smiling face 
shone with a charming expression. “ I know that you, and all, 
love me, and I am sensible of the great gratitude I owe you.” 

“ Null !” said Helgestad, “ she is a rarity, such as will not 
again be found in Lapland. The Lapps are the most ungrateful 
beings God ever created.” 


76 


AFRAJA. 


“ It seems to me/’ replied Marstrand, “ that no particular 
pains are taken, by rendering them services, to excite their 
gratitude.” 

“ Oh, ho !” exclaimed the trader, “ you have also taken it 
into your head to praise the people.” 

“ I do not praise them,” responded Marstrand ; “ but why 
should I scorn and condemn them ? As Gula is a daughter of 
this neglected race, and as she is good and intelligent, why 
should not many more become such, if good people would take 
pity on them ? God has bestowed the seed of his spirit upon 
all who bear the name of man ; and those who, by cultivation 
and education, are wiser and better, have a double duty to assist 
their fellow-men.” 

An inexpressible gratitude beamed in Gula’s eyes. Uda 
looked up from her spindle, and attentively regarded the young 
man; Helgestad, however, sipped at his glass, and observed, 
with his usual sarcasm; “Null ! You speak like a preacher, or 
a man who has the matter at heart ; but you will soon change 
your mind when you know them, and you will not want oppor- 
tunities. 1 Let good enough alone/ ” he continued, “ we must 
not lose time. We have here wine and women, but music is 
wanting, and that we must have also. Bring your guitar, Gula, 
and show the Herr that all the good voices are not confined to 
Copenhagen.” 

Gula ran to the next room, and quickly returned with a 
guitar of the simplest kind. Five cords were stretched over 
the curved neck of the instrument, whose threads were fastened, 
in an imperfect manner, around the music-hole. It was beaten 
with a wooden wand, and the tones elicited, by their softness, 
produced quite a pleasing effect. 

“Sing us The Praise of the North,” said Helgestad, as Gula 
laid the guitar in the lap of her friend. 

Ilda, with ready compliance, put aside her spindle, and then 
began one of those deep-toned, long-resounding, popular melo- 
dics, which celebrate the beauty, grandeur, and wild majesty 


A F 11 A J A . 


77 


of Norway. The sea, the rocks, the forests, the water-falls, 
and the free life of the shepherds, hunters, and fishermen filled 
up the strophes, each of which terminated with a passionate 
laud of the glorious old Norman land. Helgestad beat time 
with his glass, and, with the last strophe, all joined in the song, 
and closed it with a loud hurrah for Norway. 

“ That is a song,” exclaimed Helgestad, “ the like of which 
no people on earth possess ; for none possess such a country as 
Norway. Nuh ! Ilda sings like a genuine Norman maiden, 
for she has a sympathetic heart in her breast. Is it not so ?” 

Marstrand expressed his assent, which Helgestad received 
with paternal pride. “ You are a judge,” said he, “ but you 
might travel all Finnmark through without hearing such 
singing.” 

“ Has not Gula, also, learned to sing, from such an instruc- 
tress ?” inquired Marstrand. 

“ You shall hear what a maiden knows, who springs from a 
people without three tones in their throat. Let us hear one of 
your songs, Gula ; a true Lapland song, such as is heard in the 
Kilpisjaure, when the reindeer are driven home at evening.” 

Gula whizzed the wand over the chords, and her soft voice 
hurriedly hummed a chant of unknown words. By degrees, 
her features grew more animated, her dark eyes wandered 
inquiringly around, her breast heaved with emotion, and her 
sharp-sounding tones trembled and wavered, and, at last, she 
suddenly ceased, the wand fell from her hand, and, with sunken 
head she glared wildly about her. 

u What ails you ?” sympathisingly asked the guest. 

“ It is nothing,” said Helgestad, complacently draining his 
glass. “ She has sung to you of the brown herds, how they 
lie reclining under the birch trees, and the springs, where the 
wild-fowl scream, and the wind rushes through the branches, 
how the calves leap and lick the hands, and how the grand- 
mother sits by the fire, stirring the broth. It is a kind of poetry 
which prevails all over the wilderness, Ilcrr Marstrand, where 
7 * 


78 


AFRAJA. 


the reindeer wanders, and the hut of the Lapp is found; were 
he a thousand miles away, and in a king’s palace, its sounds 
would arouse a Laplander to his inmost core, and excite a 
longing for the free and roving life of his native mountains/’ 

“ Where is the man,” exclaimed Marstrand, with excitement, 
“ who does not cling, with mysterious affection, to the land of 
his birth?” 

“But enough for to-day,” said Helgestad, “you must be 
tired, and I will conduct you to your chamber.” Thereupon 
he led his guest to the upper story, where, in a small, neat 
room, a bed stood against the farther wall. “ Sleep in peace,” 
said the trader; “ I think you will find it soft enough. Look, 
the girls have given you a bed stuffed with the feathers of a 
thousand pair of eider-down ducks, such as a prince could 
scarcely procure.” 

Marstrand sank deep in the elastic down, which closed up 
around him, and he soon fell into a deep sleep, from which he 
awoke only when the clear sun-light broke through the little 
windows, and lighted up the browned rafters of the chamber. 


CHAPTER IY. 

As this first day was passed in Orenaes, so followed many 
others, with the same interchange of labor and rest. From 
morning till eve, active industry prevailed in the ware-houses 
ancf yachts, but, at night, the family re-assembled around the 
great stove, where all kinds of tales and anecdotes were related, 
many of which interested Marstrand much. 

The Glaard or court of the old Helgestad was surrounded by 
a dozen clay huts, occupied, in part, by the families of the 
Norman fishermen, and Quanes, or Finnland emigrants, all of 


AFRAJA. 


79 


whom were dependent upon the trader, and constituted his 
immediate vassals. They, as well as all the dwellers on this 
deep arm of the Lyngenfiord, gave to Helgestad what they took 
in the fishery and chase, and received from him, in exchange, 
clothing, flour, brandy, angling-rods, and whatever else they 
had need of. Every one had his account in the huge debtors’- 
book, down to the close of the fishery at Lofodden, when the 
yearly settlement was regularly made. This time had now 
arrived, and Marstrand, who, for his rank, was unusually ready 
in writing and reckoning, under Helgestad’s supervision, pre- 
pared the accounts of the fishermen, and was thus introduced 
to a knowledge of the details of the trade. What each one 
received from the shop stood upon one side, and upon the other 
was inscribed the credit for the articles delivered. A high 
price was exacted for all wares, and the profit was, of course, 
large ; the price for the fish, fixed by a commission of fishermen 
and merchants at Lofodden, was so low, that the most could 
scarcely keep out of debt, many remained in arrears, and not a 
few were obliged to borrow, which, however, was not paid in 
money, but carried to their account. 

“ I see,” said Helgestad, “ that you are surprised at this mode 
of dealing; but there would be no traffic in Finnmark, were it 
not so. The fishing folk should never have money in hand, 
because they would cease to labor. I warn you also, Herr 
Marstrand, to look to it, that whoever is once in your debt, does 
not get out of it, unless you will trust him no more, because he 
is growing old and infirm, and cannot, therefore, buffet the 
storms and catch fish.” 

“But I observe some on your book,” replied Marstrand, 
“ who are free from debt, and have something to their credit.” 

“Nuh!” responded the trader, slyly; “a week will not 
elapse, before they are again in my hands. Upon their 
return from the Lofodden, they are reckless, and lead a 
rollicking life. There is, moreover, a rule and custom among 
us, that no trader must lend to a fisherman who deals with 


80 


AFRAJA. 


another. No one can take him up, unless his previous creditor 
permits it; look around upon the sounds and fiords, and little 
fishing-stations, with their huts, and a pair of acres of land and 
meadow; they are all in our hands. We have either bought 
them, and leased them to the people who reside there, or we 
have lent money on them, and could eject the tenants at any 
time we chose. We could sell their cow, take their boat, and 
reduce them to such absolute misery and poverty, that no 
alternative would be left them but a leap into the sea.” 

“ And this, probably, is no rare occurrence,” said the young 
nobleman. 

“ Nuh !” grunted Helgestad, u as long as a man can work, 
there is a possibility of discharging his debts ; and while there 
is such a prospect, no trader would rashly put a rope about the 
neck of a good customer. Every one who is wise will look after 
his property, and, where he perceives danger, lend no further, 
and, when the proper time has arrived, will invoke the interpo- 
sition of the sorenskriver.” 

“ In this manner,” said Marstrand, whose sense of justice 
was excited, “the fishermen and laboring people must be per- 
fectly drained, and without ever being able to escape from their 
wretchedness.” 

Helgestad regarded him with a sullen stare. “ You speak 
like a fool,” said he; “ in saying that the traders are the scourge 
of the country. Were you a merchant, you would open your 
eyes, and confess that it cannot be otherwise. The fishermen 
and coast-people, Normans, Quanes, and Danes, must all be our 
servants ; they must all be kept in a state of dependence and 
poverty, otherwise we could not exist. It is a fact, Herr. He 
who does not understand the art of so reckoning, that nothing 
remains to these lazy, improvident people, and of unsparingly 
dealing with them, when nothing more is to be had from them, 
had better not engage in the trade.” 

It was evident to Marstrand that he must remain silent 

and what objections had he, indeed, to urge ? Helgestad was 


APR A J A. 


81 


neither better nor worse than the other merchants. All had 
the same aim, and defrauded alike; but these fishermen, hunters, 
and shepherds also formed a savage, idle, and rude mass, who 
were only impelled to labor by hunger, from the cradle to the 
grave. 

Amid this continual activity, Sunday arrived, and Marstrand 
was rejoiced to ‘be able to pass this day of rest free from the 
cares of traffic and the account-books. On the previous evening, 
as he came up from the fiord, he met Gula at the door, who 
gave him a friendly greeting. 

“ You have toiled late,” said she ; “ but to-morrow you will 
have, in recompense, a glad Sunday.” 

“ Is there a dance ?” asked he, in jest. 

“ A dance ! Heaven defend us, Herr !” was the answer. 
“ We do not often dance in Orenaes Gaard. You must go to 
church.” 

Marstrand turned to observe the arm of the sea, over whose 
misty veil the high summits of the little church of Lyngen were 
visible in the distance. “ Heavy ice-flakes are drifting in the 
fiord, and we shall have a storm. I prefer to remain at home 
by the fire.” 

“You are a pious man, with a truth,” replied Gula, jocu- 
larly. “Miss Ilda will teach you better. There is to be a 
thanksgiving at church, at which all must be present.” 

“ Ho you accompany us, also ?” 

“ I ? No,” was her laughing reply. “ I am not the child of 
one who possesses yachts and trading-posts. I stay at home ; yet, 
if you will pray for me, I will keep the fire bright for your 
sake.” 

“ You are a little heathen, as I observe,” said Marstrand ; 
“ who leaves the church to take care of itself, and rather sits 
by the hearth at home.” 

“ When you come back at noon,” said she, “ and if the day 
is favorable, I will lead you to a beautiful little spot, whence 
there is an extensive view over land and sea, in clear weather.” 

F 


82 


AFR AJA. 


“I shall hold you to your word/’ he cried after her, as Gula 
sprang into the house, upon seeing Helgestad open the door and 
look out. 

Miss Ilda sat by the table sewing her father’s silk vest, but 
Helgestad held in his hand the new broad-brimmed hat which 
Bjornarne had brought him from Trondheim. 

“ I am thinking of you,” he said to the young man, “ and 
our visit to church. Pastor Sture will preach us a famous 
thanksgiving sermon for the rich fishery at Lofodden, and you 
must accompany us, Herr Marstrand. You see that the people 
are all gathering from near and far. It is necessary that you 
get acquainted with them as much as possible.” 

The invitation was not to be refused, and, the whole evening 
through, the church festivity formed the topic of conversation. 
The next morning, while it was yet dark, the wooden building 
echoed again with the voices and tread of the joyous people ; 
and Marstrand had scarcely dressed himself, before he was 
summoned to breakfast, and urged to make haste. 

He had put on his best attire. A green frock-coat, with 
gold lace, such as was then worn by gentlemen in society in 
Copenhagen, fitted tightly around his slender waist, and over it 
he had thrown the short jacket of blue fox-skin which Helge- 
stad had bought for him. His dark blond hair, loosely bound 
by a ribbon, fell in rich ringlets over his shoulders ; and his 
appearance, even to the boots, was so pleasing, that Helgestad 
himself regarded him with admiration. 

“Nuh !” he exclaimed, “you understand how to put on your 
things. The maidens of Koofiord and of Aloen will look at 
you more than the pious Ileinrick Sture, though he should shake 
the rafters with his eloquence. I think I am right. Is it not 
,60, Ilda?” 

I Miss Ilda, in her high, black woollen dress, feather jacket, 
and fur cap, which rested coquettishly upon the side of her 
head, turned to the young nobleman, and nodded to him, with 
a smile. “ I think so, father,” she replied \ “ and Herr Mar- 


A FRA J A. 


83 


strand will, no doubt, not take it amiss, if tlie young girls should 
forget the parson to look at him.” 

Helgestad laughed outright, in which Marstrand also joined ; 
but llda’s words carried with them a reproof, which he evidently 
felt, mildly as it was expressed. He helped the severe maiden 
into the eight-oared boat in waiting, which lay at the foot of 
the landing, and answered somewhat bluntly her inquiries as to 
whether he sat comfortably, and if his feet were well wrapped 
up in the fur. 

The morning was dark and damp ; the north-west wind drove 
into the fiord from the sea, bringing with it an icy-cold mist, 
and huge cakes of ice, rushing against each other, broke to 
pieces. Helgestad stood at the helm, and eight men plied the 
oars. A number of common people, with their wives, cowered 
upon the low seats ; but before the rudder-head, where there 
was the most space, cushions and coverings, for Miss Ilda and 
the Danish Herr, had been placed. 

After the stout boat, for a long time, had rowed against the 
wind, and availed herself of the shelter of every projecting 
rock, Helgestad conducted her in the midst of the high waves 
of the fiords. The morning twilight, in the meantime, disap- 
peared; red clouds rose out of the mist, and, at length, this 
itself lifted up from the inlet, and a far-penetrating blaze of 
sun-light broke over the swelling water. This victory of day 
over night infused cheerfulness among all the passengers, and 
brought out the surrounding scenery with brilliant effect. The 
shores were distinctly visible, and the cottages, from which the 
smoke rose, circling in the air, as well as the church of Lyngen, 
upon its high rock. The people chatted together, laughed and 
looked delightedly into the devious windings of the side-channels 
of the fiords, out of which other boats, large and small, were 
seen rowing towards the same point as themselves. They were 
all filled with people. The bright red kerchiefs of the women 
fluttered gaily in the morning breeze; young fellows sprang 
upon the seats, and waved their hats and caps. Greetings 


84 


AFR A J A. 


were exchanged, sallies of wit and raillery were shouted to 
and fro, and bets were made as to which boat would first arrive 
at the landing-place. 

After two hours’ hard rowing, the boat was close on to the 
church at Lyngen, and Helgestad had just time enough to name 
the chief families assembled there. The whole aristocracy of 
traders and proprietors of Gaard, who dwelt in this bundle of 
sounds and fiords, of which the great Lyngenfiord, as it were, 
formed the knot, had already arrived, and were standing with 
their sons and daughters before the church in the sunshine. 

It seemed as if the welcomes, inquiries, and shaking of hands 
would never cease ; yet Marstrand was, as he could not fail to 
be, soon the subject of universal attention. Some had already 
seen him at Lofodden, and had spread the news into the re- 
motest corner of this wild mountainous coast, that Helgestad 
would bring with him a stranger, who intended to establish 
himself in the country. Scrutinizing looks examined him from 
the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. Aversion and 
mistrust were expressed on many a face ; but the greater part 
seemed to regard the stranger with a partial eye. Several of 
the young men took especial pleasure in running jokes on the 
Dane, and even his boots and coat underwent a sharp criticism ; 
but Niels Helgestad presented him to the richest and most dis- 
tinguished people with such flattering remarks, that the jokers 
deemed it prudent to withdraw in silence. “ Nuh !” said the 
proprietor of Orenaes, so loud that every one could hear him, 
“ Herr Marstrand, although a man of rank, has evinced a readi- 
ness and good-will in learning his future business such as I have 
rarely met with.” 

Such a testimony was sufficient to determine the public judg- 
ment in favor of Marstrand. The best people shook him by the 
hand, invited him to visit them, and inquired as to his views. 
The young girls found him a desirable person, and became 
absorbed in the observation of his dress and figure ) and the 
mothers speculated, as all mothers are wont to do, whether they 


AFRAJA. 


85 


should live in Lapland or Denmark. Secret conjectures were 
made as to the intentions of Helgestad respecting the Dane and 
his land-patent. Among the women and maidens there was 
much question as to the views of Miss Ilda ; and whether this 
proud heiress, for whom no one seemed to he good enough ex- 
cept the nephew of the Yoigt of Tromsoe, would give her 
much-coveted hand to the young nobleman. A full hour elapsed 
before the parson made his appearance ; and during this inter- 
val, many worldly affairs were transacted in the porch, and even 
on the seats of the little weather-beaten, wooden church. Sales 
and purchases of fish, cattle, oil, and provisions were concluded ; 
bargains of the most various kinds were laughed over, 
disputed, and drunk; and, in short, it was a gathering 
of the people for many miles, who availed themselves of this 
occasion to supply both their spiritual and temporal wants. 

Finally, came the pastor of Lyngen; a large, broad-shoul- 
dered man, in a leathern coat, lined with green frieze, and a 
wolf-skin thrown over it. After he had exchanged a dozen 
hand-shakings, and had complimented ladies and gentlemen, he 
put on the cope, and ascended the pulpit to deliver an inter- 
minably tiresome discourse. He had selected his theme from 
the fishing of the believer, who, trusting in the word of the 
Lord, had cast his net, and applied it to the prolific catch of 
that year, under thanks to a gracious God for the many large 
and fat fish which, by his command, swam in the Westfiord, 
there to fall into the hands of so many valiant Norwegian men. 

Tired and bored by this monotonous discourse, Marstrand 
turned his attention from the preacher to the congregation, 
which he found much more interesting, i^tle could not, in gene- 
ral, gainsay the opinion that a long residence in the inhospitable 
North, amid ice and bog, and tempests on sea and land, had 
impaired the beauty and strength of the Norman race. (The 
Weather-beaten, leathern-hued complexions, of most of the 
assembly testified to a continual contest with nature, against 
which no tender organization could maintain itself, and before 
8 


86 


AFRAJA. 


which the hardiest and strongest often sank to the ground. 
Here no one lived for pleasure, and no one could exist but for 
the fish in the sea. The fishy odor which filled every cottage 
reeked also through this church ; and even the preacher him- 
self, whose red face glowed with the fire of toddy, and whose 
eyes shone with enthusiasm, as he spoke of the fat fish, seemed 
to be a genuine worshipper of the great Fetisch, from whom 
came all the blessings of the land, and to whom all adoration 
was offered. 

Several sprightly young men, with keen, strongly-marked 
features, distinguished themselves as advantageously among 
this mass of fish calculators and oil speculators as some young 
girls who, in their feather jackets and gold pins, were evidently 
conscious of their charms. Behind them, against the walls of 
the church, sat the fishermen, with their wives, as motionless 
as statues, and gazing with a fixed stare from beneath their 
long, falling hair, straight ahead. Gigantic Quanes, from the 
islands and the new settlements — ugly, stump-nosed fellows, 
with small, sparkling eyes — hovered in the corners, together 
with their wives, in red gowns and flaunting kerchiefs, and 
hideous, monkey-visaged children, by their sides. 

Among all the women, however, in the church, who were 
modishly equipped in bonnet, cap, and ribbons, bought for them 
by their fathers and husbands in Bergen, but few could com- 
pare with Miss II da. 

In her black, woollen dress, with her rich hair bound round 
with a velvet ribbon and fastened by a silver arrow, she was, as 
she sat by the side of Marstrand, in his opinion, the prettiest 
maiden in the assemblage. Here, for the first time, where 
many of her sex were gathered together, he recognised and 
confessed her superiority; and whether it proceeded from the 
fact that his eye was, for the first time, opened, never before 
did her commanding figure, her broad, arched brow, regu- 
larly formed face and large mild eyes, appear to him so com- 
mendable. He lost the standard of beauty which he formerly 


AFRAJA. 


87 


held, and received in its stead another in the region in which 
he was now living. 

“ Among the blind, the one-eyed is king;” said he, jokingly, 
to himself. “ I shall, however, never be able to persuade my- 
self that Miss Ilda, as she sits there, tall and grand, strong- 
limbed and motionless of eye, is such a charming being as to 
set blood and nerves in motion.” His thoughts flew from Ilda’s 
cold, severe countenance, to the nimble-footed Gula, revealing, 
with her pleasant smile, her white teeth, and nodding to him 
across the grass-plot before the door of the house at Orenaes. 
Yes, if she had something of the nature of that child, he 
thought to himself; if the pillar of salt could only move and 
breathe, life would awaken life. 

Meanwhile, the preacher held valiantly on ; and at length, 
as Marstrand congratulated himself he was nearly at an end, 
the discourse took a sudden turn upon his own personal con- 
cerns, and the holy man, in the most strenuous manner, re- 
minded his audience of their obligations and duty to him after 
so rich a fishery. 

a This is the day of offerings !” he shouted, as he thumped 
the pulpit , u and I advise you also not to be so miserly and 
niggardly as many among you, for a long time, have been. I 
will not mention names : you will understand me sufficiently, 
and will see to it, that I may be able to drink to your prospe- 
rity. Think of it, dear friends and neighbors ; consider of the 
great care and trouble I undergo for your sakes, and that I am 
a Norman of good blood and family, and not a Lapp, who can 
live on fish -heads and frozen cheese. Search your pockets and 
bring out what you have designed for me ; and if it be too lit- 
tle, add to it, and make it better than the last time, when it 
was a shame for Lyngenfiord Parish to see with what a light 
purse I went home. And now, receive the blessing; and I 
hope you will act properly towards your friend Heinrick Sturo.” 

Marstrand could with difficulty suppress a laugh ; and he was 
surprised to hear an approving grunt from the congregation, 


88 


AFRAJA. 


and to see that no one took offence at the admonition of tho 
worthy pastor. The money-bag was handed around, and the largo 
thalers rattled together. Every one watched the fingers of his 
neighbor, and graduated his gift to the like measure. Marstrand 
observed that quite a rivalry in generosity had sprung up, and 
he gave full vent to his merriment as he saw Ilda also take out 
her purse and drop a liberal contribution in the bag, and per- 
ceived the grateful nod with which it was hailed by the pastor. 

“ You have also suffered yourself to be moved by the appeal 
of the godly Heinrick;” said he, jestingly, as they both left the 
church. 

“Do you think I did wrong ?” she asked, with that reprov- 
ing smile which she had so often manifested to him. “ Con- 
fess that you are a very frivolous man.” 

“ Frivolous ? Wherefore ?” 

“Did you hear the sermon? Were you not rather peering 
over all the seats and corners of the church, instead of collect- 
ing your thoughts, and meditating on the necessity of God’s 
aid ? You break your jests on Heinrick Sture, and you have 
shown no respect to our opinion. You must know, that it is 
the custom and law in Norway, three times a-year, to give to 
the pastor, and that the greater part of his income is derived 
from this source. You have many trifling and giddy Danish 
notions yet to lay aside, my dear Herr.” 

Marstrand endeavored to excuse himself, and Ilda listened 
good-naturedly, and seemed to be reconciled by his apologies. 
Some time elapsed before the return voyage was thought of. 
After the Norwegian custom, there stood near the church a 
number of small cottages, built of heavy planks, and which 
were designed to afford shelter on bad days, and also a night’s 
rest, on the arising of a sudden snow-storm, or hurricane. The 
present day, however, was so mild and sunny, that all the fami- 
lies sat together upon the enclosure in front of the church, 
where the grass sprouted out of the clean earth, and where, 
with joke and laughter, the breakfast, which all had taken care 


AF R A J A. 


89 


to bring with them, was eaten with hearty appetite. The young 
people talked of the fine weather, when visits could be easily 
made, when the spring festival would be celebrated, and when 
they could dance, with sun-light, to midnight. The old folks 
gathered together, and made conjectures upon the issue of the 
voyage to Bergen, in that year, until finally the last glass was 
drank ; and the boats, with the church-going voyagers, scattered 
in all directions. 

The wind filled the huge sail of the cutter, which Helgestad 
expanded to its utmost compass, and she shot down the fiord 
merrily, tossing off the white foam from her bows. 

“ It was a fine sermon, and a glorious day,” said Helgestad, 
as they got full headway. “ Heinrick Sture will rejoice at it. 
He carries home pockets full of silver, which has not happened 
to him for a long time. Nuh ! lucky for him that the hearts 
of his hearers were free from apprehensions of storms and 
snow-blasts ; for, in such a state of mind, people give more, as 
he might discover, were it to-morrow.” 

He looked up to the sky, which was covered by light strips 
of cloud, and made a shrewd sign, as if to indicate that he was 
wiser than many of his neighbors, of whom he now related all 
kinds of anecdotes, until the boat reached the ware-house of 
Orenaes. Marstrand helped Ilda up the slippery stone-steps, 
and both looked around in vain for Gula. 

“ She has a visitor,” said the steward. 

“Who?” asked Ilda. 

“There he sits at the door,” he replied. “You will, no 
doubt, recognise him, Miss Ilda.” 

“ Afraja !” exclaimed Helgestad. “ What is the old rascal 
after? I could smell him, if I did not see him.” 

“ It is curious, so early in the season,” said Ilda. “ What 
can it mean ?” 

“ I do not know,” said Helgestad, frowning, and quickening 
his pace; “but may I be hanged, if the old vermin brings 
anything good.” 

8 * 


90 


AFRAJA. 


As they drew near to the house, Marstrand observed, with 
much interest, the man whose name he had so often heard. 
Bent double, and his head bowed deep, the old shepherd sat on 
a bench by the door. A brown robe of coarse woollen stuff 
covered his apparently decrepid body, over which he wore an 
open fur cloak of reindeer-skin, and his cap, of like material, 
he had taken off and laid upon his knee. His two meagre, 
sinewy hands clasped a long stick, the sharp iron point of which 
glistened on the ground. At his feet lay two yellow, shaggy- 
haired dogs, whose watchful eyes were fastened now upon their 
, motionless master, and then upon the approaching strangers, 
whom they received with a low growl. 

When Helgestad stood close by him, the old Lapp lifted up 
his head, and an humble friendliness beamed in his weather- 
beaten face, which was covered with wrinkles and furrowed 
lines. Half-grown grey hair overspread his low forehead, his 
nose was of a Mongolian flatness, his teeth unusually long, 
sharp, and white, like those of a wolf. From beneath the grey 
mass of hair, which the wind blew about his face, his small 
eyes flashed like the sun setting in a blood-red glow, but there 
was something uncommonly artful and lurking in their 
expression. 

The old man rose from his seat, and made a profound bow to 
the trader. “ May peace ever accompany you,” said he, in the 
corrupt Danish of the coast language ; u and your days be as 
joyous as the snow-flakes.” 

“ I accept it,” answered Helgestad ; u every Christian man 
needs your greeting, and you have indeed brought it from afar. 
Your girdle is shrunken from the dampness, and your komma- 
gers have been hardly used.” He pointed to the half-boots of 
reindeer-skin, which Afraja, after the custom of the Finns, had 
tightly laced around his thin legs. “ I have not seen you since 
the autumn,” he continued; “I supposed you to be far in the 
Jauern.” 

“ You are right, father,” returned the Lapp, with an assent- 


/ 


AFBAJA. 


91 


ing nod. “ My cattle have pastured in the Tana, and beyond 
to the great sea.” 

u And what, by St. Olaf’s beard ! has driven you through 
the winter’s snow to Lyngenfiord ?” exclaimed the astonished 
merchant. “ You must have had a fearful journey. Where 
are your sleighs and your Pulks ?” 

Afraja looked up to the mountains, and with a certain pride 
and dignity, stroked back the thick hair from his face, and 
replied; “You know that I own many cattle. My nephew, 
Mortuno, rests with a herd at the spring of Setzjok, which you 
call Old River. I came to him, to look after my property, and 
to fix his summer pasturage. Prom thence, it was not very far 
to you, father; yet how could you wonder that I have come 
here, when the bear and the wolf go out in quest of their 
young ? My child lives in your house. I am old and infirm, 
and my heart yearns after her.” 

“ Your heart ?” said Helgestad, laughing. “ Have you also 
a heart, old knave ?” 

“ My heart,” replied Afraja, with a stern look, “ longs after 
my child, who is my greatest treasure.” 

“ Nuh I” said the trader, “ look after your treasure, then ; 
no harm has happened to her. Stay until to-morrow, if you 
choose.” 

Afraja shook his. head. “My time is short,” said he. 
Before it is night, I must be far away. Gula shall go with 
me — I ask her back from you, Herr.” 

Helgestad regarded the Finn with a fixed and astonished 
look, for he had formed his resolution. “ I see now what you 
have come for,” he angrily answered; “and I anticipated 
nothing good from your visit. But it cannot be ; you have a 
bad' memory, Afraja. You gave me the maiden for a pound 
of tobacco and three pints of brandy.” 

“ You are a Christian,” said the old man, after a moment’s 
pause, supporting himself on his staff. “ God sees and hears 
all things. He knows that I did not sell my child ; I let you 


92 


AFRAJA. 


have her, because you desired it. My gamme is desolate/' he 
continued, beseechingly, “ my eye is growing dark. I ask you, 
father Niels, what would you do, if your child were taken away 
from you ?" 

“I have no time to listen to your nonsense/' exclaimed 
Helgestad, drawing his fur cap over his brows. “ I have taken 
the maiden from misery, I have made a Christian of her; and 
I could never answer for it to God and man, if I should again 
let her return to the wilderness, to live among reindeer, dogs, 
and a cruel heathen people. It is a fact, I will not tolerate it, 
on any account. If I fill your Lappish pockets with tobacco, 
and your brandy-flask to the brim, that will be sufficient, I 
should think, to pacify you. Is it not so ?" 

Afraja lifted up his eyes with an angry scorn, and said, with 
a forced composure; “ You know, Niels Helgestad, that I can 
buy what I need. I have left Gula with you so long as it 
pleased me, and I now reclaim her. You are reputed to be an 
honest man. You will not take that which is mine." 

“Take what I offer you," responded the trader, “and do not 
be a fool. Where is the Lapp who would not sell wife and 
children into service, on the coast, for tobacco and brandy? 
Gula remains here. That is my last word. You must now 
depart, or I will force you." 

“ Have you a right to drive me from your door ?" 

“ Complain to the voigt in Tromsoe," cried Helgestad, con- 
temptuously. “ Begone, or I will show you the way." 

He went into the house, and left Afraja standing, who, gazing 
on the ground, did not seem to hear the mediating words of 
Ilda. “ You know," said she, “ that I love your child as my 
sister. What will you do with her on the wild mountains? 
She would fall sick and die — her life can no longer flourish 
there. Could you transplant the birch upon the Tjellen of the 
Kilpis ? See, there is Gula. Let her remain with me, where 
she is contented and happy." 

Gula, who, at this moment, was approaching, threw herself 


AFRAJA. 


93 


into the arms of her intercessor. Afraja raised his eyes, and 
extended his hands towards her. 

“ What do you say, maiden ?” said he, slowly. “Will you 
not arise from the hearth of the stranger, and follow your 
father ? Will you not be with him, when he is sick, and calls 
upon your name ?” 

With violent emotion Gula pressed her head on Ilda’s bosom, 
and clasped her hands convulsively together, as if she feared 
to he separated from her by force. 

“ You see, old man,” said Marstrand, moved to pity by this 
sad scene, “ that your daughter prefers to dwell here.” 

A glance, full of hate and grief, was the response. “ Jubinal 
sits upon his throne of clouds,” said Afraja, in a deliberate and 
expressive manner, whilst he lifted his eyes to heaven; “he 
sees and punishes the unjust.” 

Without a word of parting salutation, he turned away and 
ascended the rocks, which formed a crescent around the inlet 
and Helgestad’s house, and, in a few minutes, with his following 
dogs, was lost to view. 

“ Is he gone ?” said Helgestad, putting his head out of the 
window. “ Come in, Herr Marstrand ; the dinner awaits you, 
and must not grow cold on account of a Lapp and his curses.” 

Grace was said, and whilst the trader praised the culinary 
skill, docility, and intelligence of Gula, a considerable time 
elapsed, during which he was almost the only 'speaker. At 
length, Marstrand expressed his surprise that the old man had 
come alone, and without arms. 

“Nuh!” said Helgestad, “his snow-staff is a weapon with 
which he can well defend himself when necessary. You may 
he sure, however, that he has concealed above there, in some 
hollow, his guns, sleds, his draught animals, and perhaps a half- 
dozen or so of scoundrels like himself.” 

“ If the Lapps are such bold, good shots,” continued the 
young Herr, “ must not the inhabitants of a solitary Gaard have 
reason to fear their vengeance ?” 


94 


AFRAJA. 


“ Who ?” cried Helgestad, laughing. “ We, here, in our 
houses ? Nuh ! the miserable people do not know it, but I tell 
you a Lapp is the more cowardly and cautious, as he is wicked 
and spiteful. In his mountains he is a master, and he who 
goes up to him must take heed. Many a one has never been 
heard of more there. Here below, however, is our kingdom ; 
and we are as secure within it, as a king in his palace.” 

After the lord of Orenaes had stuffed himself with meat and 
fish, and drank as much old port as he could well carry, he 
sought his bed to obtain a blessed sleep. Marstrand remained 
sitting with the maidens in the room, who conversed together 
for some time in an under-tone, to which he paid no attention, 
his regards being directed on the red sun-light which overspread 
the brows of the high cliffs on the fiord, and gave promise of 
fine weather. When Gula had gone out, Ilda interrupted his 
meditations. 

“ I thought,” said she, “ that my friend had promised you, 
if the day were favorable, to accompany you in a walk. If 
you are willing, go now, Gula awaits you ; it would not be right 
to leave her alone.” 

“ Will you not go with us?” 

“No,” was her answer. “I have all kinds of things to 
attend to. Gula will conduct you to a spot which she has called 
my garden. It is beautiful there; and another time I will 
accompany you thither. You have no time to lose to-day, if 
you will return home for evening worship.” 

Gula stood upon the high rock on the edge of the fiord, and 
waved her white apron as he came out of the house. “ How 
friendly and confiding,” said he, musing to himself, “is this poor 
maiden in comparison with the monosyllabic Miss Ilda ! With 
every succeeding hour I feel that I must leave Orenaes, and the 
sooner the better; but whither can I go without the assistance 
of these people, who are my only friends, and who yet inspire 
me with distrust ?” 

“Follow after me!” shouted Gula from the rock to him 


APR A J A. 


95 


below, as be climed upwards. u The way is steep and tiresome, 
but you will be compensated.” When Marstrand arrived at 
the top, she was already a good piece ahead. 

The rocky shore of the fiord rose precipitously to a conside- 
rable height, along which ran a rough, narrow path, until it 
sank, upon the other side, into a ravine, through which a brook 
rushed along into the sea. The melting snow had already 
swollen it to some height. It leaped in foam over cliffs and 
crags, and formed two splendid waterfalls, whose roar and spray 
filled the air. 

“ It is an Omnisjok, as we call it,” said Hula, who stood by 
the most beautiful fall, rejoicing at the astonishment of Mar- 
strand. u Do you see the dazzling snowy mountain-peak above 
there ? That is the summit of the Kilpis, whence it descends. 
You will have a better view by following me ; but take care, 
Herr; for in your country you have never seen such ways.” 

She bounded nimbly onward, and, despite all his efforts, 
Marstrand was not able to keep pace with her. It was a fa- 
tiguing climb, which Hula did not seem to feel, while the Dane, 
at last, for want of breath, came to a stand. She came back 
and gave him her hand. u There,” said she, u on the black 
rocks, are steps leading upwards. Bjornarne arranged them. 
Lean on me, and in a few minutes we shall be on the top.” 

And so it happened. Over blocks of stone, which formed a 
natural staircase, Hula led her friend to a small mountain shelf ; 
where, as they passed through a cleft of the rock, a magnificent . 
view suddenly presented itself to the eye. A thousand feet 
perpendicularly below them lay the fiord, and far beyond, the 
church of Lyngen. The eye wandered over & curious maze of 
dark, naked, and snow-glistening rocks, and smooth expanse of 
water, to the remotest sounds and outermost islands. At their 
feet they perceived Haard von Orenaes, its warehouses and 
clay cottages, with Helgestad’s great yachts, all dwindled into 
Liliputian dwarfishness. Over their heads, on the opposite side, 


96 


AFR A J A. 


a lofty wall of rock towered upward, whose overhanging crags 
threatened to fall at any moment. 

“ They will not fall,” said Gula, laughing, as she observed 
Marstrand’s mistrustful glances. “ They have hung there since 
the world was created, and form deep caverns, in which we 
often find shelter against the wild weather. But look out there, 
Herr,” she continued, pointing to the left; “ you can overlook 
the peninsula which separates the Lyngenfiord from the Ulvs- 
fiord. See how clear its rocks loom up ; and there, where the 
high, sharp peaks rise, comes the Balself, out of deep valleys, 
full of fine tall trees, bringing pure sparkling water down 
from the glorious Tanajaure.” 

“You speak enthusiastically, dear Gula,” said Marstrand, 
with a pleasant smile. 

“ I speak of the land of my fathers,” she replied. “ Sit 
down upon this bench, which Bjornarne has made, and upon 
yonder side you will recognise the mountains of Tromsoe ; and, 
when the atmosphere is clear, Hvaloen and the great, eternal 
ocean. Is it not beautiful, Ilerr? But glorious above all is 
the Ulvsfiord, and the Balsfiord next to it. I will tell you 
why it is so green there when all the land around yet lies 
buried under ice and snow.” 

Marstrand sat down and gave his attention. The sun stood 
over the high peak in the west, and its sinking rays fell on 
these two solitary beings. “ Tell me, dear maiden, why this 
fiord is so blessed,” said Marstrand, taking her hand, “ and 
what good deity gave it its green garment ?” 

“ You have, no doubt, heard much evil of my people,” began 
Gula, after a brief silence. “It is a poor, forsaken, and igno- 
rant race ; but it was once great and powerful, and possessed 
all the land far to the southward, which was then much more 
beautiful than at present. Flowers bloomed high on the moun- 
tains, great trees filled the valleys, and many people dwelt every- 
where along the sea-side. From time to time, according to the 
legend, Jubinal descended from his throne on the clouds, and 


APR A J A. 


97 


wandered through the land to see for himself if his children 
were happy. He came once to Ulvsfiord, and found an old 
man, with his daughter, to whom all the land there belonged. 
Like me, she bore the name of Gula, and wonderfully beautiful 
was she. The shores of the bay were covered with grass and 
flowers, wild flowers sported in its waters, the whole valley was 
a garden with bubbling fountains, and in the midst of it stood 
the cottage of our grandfather, Afraja, more elegant and strik- 
ing than has since been seen.” 

“The Lord of Ulvsfiord was then of your family?” asked 
Marstrand. 

“Yes, Herr,” she replied ingenuously, “Jubinal, the God 
to whom heaven and earth belonged, lived for a long time with 
him, and at length entirely forgot his heaven. Then he mar- 
ried Gula ) but no one knew that he was a god. Through his 
power, he awakened love in the heart of the maiden ; to the 
rich father he exhibited silver, and great herds, which came 
down from Kilpis under cover of a thick fog. You must not 
smile ;” she exclaimed, while she herself laughed. “ When I 
was a child, I have often heard this story told, and firmly be- 
lieved in it. Yes ; my father and all around him believe in it 
yet ; although my father is wiser than many who ridicule him.” 

“ But you do not believe it yet ?” inquired Marstrand. 

“Am I not a Christian, Herr?” she roguishly responded, 
lifting up her black eyes. “ What would Ilda say if I were to 
believe on Jubinal, Ayka, or Pekel ?” 

“ Yet listen further,” she continued. “ After some years had 
peacefully passed away, and Gula carried a son in her arms, the 
hour of suffering, of which she had not dreamed, arrived. 
Pekel, the base god, who hates mankind and entices them to 
sin, and eternally contrives how he may destroy the world, had 
jsworn the ruin of my people and country. He hated Jubinal 
yet more because he loved the mortal maiden, Gula. He had 
formed an alliance with the giants, the children of night, who 
9 G 


98 


AFR A JA. 


dwelt in the depths of the sea, which Jubinal heard of too late 
to change. 

“ The giants kindled a fire in their caverns, which bnrsted 
and melted the mountains to their summits by its consuming 
heat. Pekel, the malignant deity, changed himself into the 
storm wind, which drove hither the sea before him ; so that 
Norway is broken and torn as you now see it. It would all 
have been swallowed up had not J ubinal protected it to the ut- 
most of his power. When he saw the water and flames com- 
ing, his figure towered up to the clouds. Afraja and Gula pros- 
trated themselves trembling before him, but he snatched them 
up like feathers of the eider duck, and placed them, with their 
herds and servants, upon the summit of the Kilpis. 1 1 am 
Jubinal/ said he; 1 fear not, for I will save you. Remain upon 
these holy mountains until I have conquered the evil spirit/ 
With the thunder in his right hand, he drove the giants back to 
their caves; and with his left, he repelled the sea. Thunder 
and smoke covered up the land of my fathers for nine long 
weeks ; and as the sun shone out again, and the peak of the 
Kilpis rose above the smoke, Afraja and Gula beheld the 
frightful desolation. The whole land was rent in pieces; all 
fruitful earth had disappeared ; black, naked rocks, everywhere 
emerged to view; and since that time, darkness and cold have 
reigned here. Storm and fog obtained the ascendency, and ice 
and snow lay heaped up on the mountains. Jubinal appeared 
not again to the outcasts ; his voice alone spoke to them from 
the clouds. 1 Go down/ he said, ‘ to your land on the Balsfiord 
and Ulvsfiord. You will find it green and lovely, and it shall 
be yours for ever. Dwell there. I will bless you; and^as long 
as you possess the land, Afraja’s people shall not be lost/ So 
has it happened. The evil Pekel sent a people from tlie south, 
who slaughtered and drove away the Finns, so that they were 
obliged to flee to the icy mountains with their beasts. Poor 
and despised, there remained to them nothing but the freedom 
of their mountains, where they are masters to this day. The 


AFRAJA. 


U9 


land, however, at Balsfiord, is to this day Afraja’s pasture- 
ground. The herds descend thither every year from the Bal- 
self, and lay there, under the shade of the birch-tree, by the 
silvery fountain, till the autumn.” 

“Does Jubinal’s blessing rest with your race, dear Gula?” 
said Marstrand; “and are you yourself a grand-daughter 
of the fickle God ? ’ 

“ We are all God’s children,” she replied, laughingly. “ Even 
Helgestad and Ilda say so.” 

“It is curious enough,” said Marstrand,” in a reflective 
tone, “ that the cunning men from the south have not appro- 
priated to themselves the pastures and springs of Balsfiord.” 

“ J ubinal has blinded their eyes ;” responded Gula. “ There 
are but few fish there ; either because the water is too sweet or 
too warm, or because the giants yet work at their fires in the 
depths. A long time ago, the father of the Yoigt of Tromsoe 
built a house there; and when it was scarcely finished, in the 
night, the earth began to shake, all the beams fell, and the 
cruel voigt was killed.” 

“ An earthquake,” said Marstrand. “ And has the Balsfiord 
been abandoned since that period V 

“It is Afraja’s land. All know it; all fear him as a great 
sorcerer. Ask the Yoigt in Tromsoe, and he will swear to this 
day that his father was circumvented by the necromancy of my 
grandfather. Inquire of the fishermen and the pastors, and 
they will relate to you the terrible history.” 

“ But I have heard that, even among his own people, Afraja 
is reputed to hold intercourse with spirits and devils. Have 
1 you seen anything of the kind ?” 

Gula clapped her hands, and joyously shook her head. Be- 
fore she could answer, a low, sharp sound was heard, which flew 
over their heads like the cry of a ptarmigan. 

The maiden jumped up from her seat, and timidly looked 
around on all sides. 


100 


AFRAJA. 


“ Are you frightened at a Ripe ?” said Marstrand, jocularly. 
u Behold, there is a great mass of them on the rocks.” 

“ Let us go,” she replied. “ The ptarmigan screams when 
the night comes on ; the way is slippery, and Ilda will grow 
anxious about you.” She hastily bounded down the steps 
The birds fluttered above their heads, and flew screaming away 
over the fiord \ the sun was quickly concealed behind a wall of 
dark clouds, which the gusty wind scattered over the face of 
the heavens. An uncertain glimmer shot over the peaks of the 
lofty Tjellan, as both reached the hamlet, from whose cottages 
the lights were already shining. 


CHAPTER V 

Miss Ilda sat reading aloud from an open Bible on the 
table before her. A dozen men and women from the hamlet 
were seated against the side-wall, devoutly listening to the ex- 
planations and comments of the pious maiden. Nothing could 
be more gratifying to them than, in their Sunday apparel, to 
hear their young mistress read to them in her soft, melodious 
voice, from the holy volume. Even Helgestad, reclining at 
ease in the huge arm-chair by the stove, and whiffing his pipe, 
found it pleasant to suffer her clear, full tones, to ring in his 
ears while he indulged in all kinds of calculations. As the 
belated pair entered, the trader nodded to them with a gratified 
look, and, with his pipe, pointed out a leather chair to his guest. 
Miss Ilda, however, did not permit herself to be disturbed. 
She did not look up ; but quietly read on, in the wisdom of the 
prophet, Jesus Sirach, who has left so many beautiful lessons 
of wisdom and morality. When this was terminated, a chapter 
from the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans followed. 


AFRAJA. 101 

Heated and tired as he was, Marstrand listened without much 
interest. He would gladly have been spared this edifying ex- 
position ; but, by degrees, his levity yielded ; for what he heard 
did not fail to make an impression on the susceptible heart of 
the young man. The harmonious tones, and the warning coun- 
sels of the prophet, conjoined to arrest his attention. The little 
congregation and the fair priestess formed a charmingly poetic * 
picture. Without, the storm howled wilder and wilder, and 
shook the rafters with such violence as to sometimes interrupt 
the sound of Ilda’s voice. The northern lights gleamed through 
the dark sky, and their phosphoric illumination trembled upon 
the countenances of the audience until a cluster of glowing 
clouds gathered around the snowy peaks to the south of the 
fiord, and lighted up the foaming waves with its wondrous 
fire. 

Unmoved by all, Ilda read the exhortations of St. Paul to 
brotherly love and truth, and Marstrand listened with increasing 
interest. “ Rejoice with them that do rejoice,” read the 
maiden; “and weep with them that do weep; rejoice in hope, 
be patient in tribulation, receive the poor, succor the distressed. 
Bless them which persecute you; bless, and curse not. He 
that exhorteth, let him wait on the exhorter ; he that giveth, 
let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence, he 
that sheweth mercy with cheerfulness. Abhor that which is 
evil ; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one 
to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring oiie 
another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit, serving the 
Lord.” 

Here Ilda shut up the book, and the Sunday evening exer- 
cises closed. Marstrand remained sitting in deep meditation, 
whilst the people withdrew, having first been admonished by 
Helgestad to make fast their cottages, and to look after the fire 
and lights, as a wild night was coming on. Marstrand repeated 
to himself Ilda's last words, and his blood beat quicker in his 
veins. It appeared to him, as if she had especially raised her 
9 * 


102 


AFRAJA. 


voice, and directed her regards to him. He felt that the 
admonitions suited him. 

u I gladly hear the contents of the black book there,” said 
Helgestad, while the table was being prepared, and the family 
were alone; “it is curious that men should have thought of 
such things a thousand years ago — but Ilda can expound it 
better than any parson in Finnmark.” 

All nodded assent, and the old man struck the table, as he 
set aside his empty glass, and continued, with a crafty smile ; 
“ He was a clever man, St. Paul; and one can, at this day, learn 
of him. He was a man to my liking, Herr Marstrand. Brief, 
concise, clear-headed, he knew what he was about; he saw 
everything with his eyes open, and when he speaks of love, 
belief, faith, and such-like matters, there follows always a 
proper admonition, as, for example — 1 Be industrious, and keep 
your mind and hands in motion/ ‘ Take heed that you do no 
harm, serve the time/ Had he lived in Finnmark, the holy 
apostle,” he exclaimed, u it would not have been the unclean 
spot that it is — it would be profitable to many, if they would 
daily read him, to preserve themselves from evil.” 

a It would be well if people lived after Paul’s precepts ; and 
particularly where he exhorts all to live in brotherly love with 
one another,” said the young man. 

“ I deny it,” said Helgestad. u The apostle was too expe- 
rienced and practical a man to have advised such things. He 
meant nothing more thereby than, perhaps ; 1 It would be good 
if it were so ; the earth would indeed be a paradise, if all God’s 
creatures lived with another in love and truth ; but as it is little 
else than hypocrisy and deceit, the saying means only — Every 
one must take as good care of himself in this world as he can, 
until God takes us all into his keeping/ This the apostle Paul 
perfectly knew — for it was then as now, and will so remain from 
time to eternity. The whole may be summed up as follows — 
Keep your eyes and ears wide open, hold fast to what you have, 
and take care to increase your possessions. This is the only 


A.FRAJA. 


103 


sound morality of life, Herr Marstrand, and no one can complain 
if he loses what was his.” 

Marstrand, at first, smiled at this spiritual and temporal 
philosophy ; for it appeared to him to be founded on truly 
knavish principles. Helgestad, in the fundamental principles 
of Christianity, found only a confirmation of his sharp-dealing 
shrewdness, and the necessity of keeping eyes and ears open, 
and, instead of being the dupe, to become the deceiver. 

“ It is true,” said he, “ that St. Paul exhorts us to be wise 
and circumspect, and to adapt ourselves to men and circum- 
stances, but he urges us also to strive after truth and justice, 
in order that God’s voice, the voice of virtue and of conscience, 
may be strong in us, and preserve us from the sin of injustice.”. 

“ Nuh !” bantered Helgestad, “ you have, as I observe, many 
of the humors of the great lords, who set honor and conscience 
above everything else, at the same time that they pile up bur- 
dens and taxes upon the peasants, wring from them their last 
penny, and hunt after titles and offices with large emoluments 
and no labor. I have seen and heard of many of these men 
of honor and conscience, who wear gold lace, and drain the 
purses of their fellow-men, that they may live in palaces, and 
revel in luxury.” 

u Indeed, Herr Helgestad,” replied Marstrand, smiling, while 
he regarded his coarse dress, u I am not moved by these re- 
proaches. As for me, I have only the humor of an honorable 
man, who would not overreach and defraud any one, to increase 
his own fortune. I have the same opinion of you, notwith- 
standing all your lessons of craftiness. You have acted towards 
me agreeably to the injunction of the apostle, with brotherly 
love : in my desolation you extended me a helping hand. 
Should I not, therefore, rejoice in full confidence at the same, 
and, as St. Paul says, love without dissimulation.” 

Helgestad blew the smoke of his pipe in thick clouds around 
his head, and raised his glass. “ I thank you for your good 
opinion,” he replied ; “ and I drink to your good fortune. You 


104 


A F II A J A . 


speak like a warm-hearted man, and you are young enough tc 
give expression to your sensations. I adhere, however, to the 
belief that I am right. Every one is a being with one head 
and two legs, who feels and works for himself, and forms a 
world of his own. A prudent man will keep his wits about 
him, lest he may be overreached by better calculators. Life is 
game, Herr Marstrand, which we all seek to win. I wish you 
luck for the capital prize — but it is your affair to seek it. I 
have already, at the Lofodden, advised you to be wide awake, 
lest you lose the stake. Nuh ! ” he continued, as his guest did 
not answer, “ enough has been said on this subject. Don’t you 
think so, Ilda ?” 

“Yes, father,” answered the maiden. . “You have not 
concealed your thoughts, and you have spoken justly.” 

She arose, and bade the maids to close the window-shutters, 
and secure all the doors, for a snow and rain-storm, of the most 
violent kind, had now begun. Helgestad sent persons to his 
ware-houses, and he himself looked after the fastening of his 
yachts, by heavy iron chains. 

“ It is a dreadful night,” he said, with an anxious expression, 
as he returned, dripping wet. “ It blows from the south-west 
as if it would precipitate the old Tjellen of Lyngen into the 
sea : we shall have snow five feet deep to-morrow. Put out all 
the lights, and draw your heads under the coverlet, that you 
may not hear the infernal din. I suppose Bjornarne is in 
Tromsoe with the yacht, or is lying securely at anchor in some 
inlet. He is a reliable young fellow — I have no anxiety about 
him, and I will enjoy a sound sleep.” 

Marstrand, on the contrary, for a long time, lay awake on 
the bed, in his clothes. The tempest howled without, with such 
fury, that it seemed as if cannon were discharged; and under 
its thunder, the house shook and tottered, as if about to fall. 
The small windows rattled as if they would fly into pieces, when 
the snow-gusts beat against them; the rafters groaned and 
sreaked; and now and then, a pale light shone through the 


AFRAJA. 


105 


deep darkness, which mysteriously shot in rapid flashes from 
the zenith of the sky. At last the tumult overcame his 
thoughtfulness, and he fell into a sound sleep, from which, 
several hours afterwards, he awoke, stiff and benumbed with 
cold. He immediately jumped up, endeavored to throw off his 
clothes, to seek warmth and a new sleep under the down ; at 
this moment, he thought he heard a dumb cry, which drove 
away all sense of fatigue. He stood listening for a moment. 
The storm yet raged, but the driving snow had ceased. The 
mass of clouds was not so thick, and a star twinkled among 
them. The cry was repeated, and two heavy blows seemed to 
fall; a murmur, as of human voices, arose directly under his 
feet. 

With a few rapid strides, the young man bounded to the 
door, whose wooden bolt, however, resisted all his efforts ; and 
whilst he was rattling at it, with all his force, he heard again a 
half-stifled wailing penetrating through the floor. 

Bold men, in danger, resolve quickly. Marstrand sprang 
from the door, which he could not open, to the window, and 
tore it open. Deep snow covered the ground with its white 
veil ; the storm beat in his face, and although he could hear 
nothing, he recognised a pair of figures, moving close by the 
house. Without a moment’s reflection, he forced his body 
through the narrow window-frame, and slid down below. He 
fell down flat, and jumped up in pain, as he observed two men, 
upon whose heads he had nearly plunged, take to flight. The 
one disappeared in the darkness, and the other ran into the 
house, the door of which stood wide open. “Who are you?” 
shouted Marstrand, running after him ; but instead of the one 
whom he laid hold of by his shepherd’s cloak, he was suddenly 
seized by four men, who sprang at him out of the dark vesti- 
bule. He received such a powerful blow of the fist, that he 
tumbled back from the threshold : the guttural tones, and the 
forms of his opponents, left him no doubt that the antagonists 
with whom he had to deal were Finns. 


106 


A F It A J A . 




For some minutes, Marstrand was in considerable danger. 
The assailants availed themselves of tlieir vantage-ground, and 
struck him with their long sticks. But they were weak and 
cowardly enemies, for they had scarcely made a dozen steps, 
and the powerful Dane had hardly snatched a weapon from the 
hands of one, and given him a couple of blows, amid continual 
cries of help, when they all ran off, and left the first of their 
companions in Marstrand’ s hands. 

After a brief struggle, he threw his prisoner down in the 
snow, and dragged him back into the house, in no little anxiety 
as to the fate of its tenants. His calls were lost in the uproar 
of the tempest. The man at his feet gave no answer to his 
threats. The house was as still and dark as if it contained no 
living being. 

“Have you murdered them, you villain?” exclaimed the 
victor, with increasing fury. “ Speak, or I will strangle you ! 
What has become of them V * 

“ Be merciful, be merciful, Herr !” exclaimed a breathless 
voice behind; and two trembling arms clasped his arm, two 
cold hands endeavored to open his hands. 

“ Gula !” cried Marstrand ; and whilst he unloosened the 
bound man, he continued ; “ It is your father !” 

“Spare his grey hairs,” she sobbed; “let him not fall into 
the hands of his enemies. No one has been harmed. He came 
to carry me off by force — I shrieked — they threw a fur-cloak 
over my head, and dragged me out. I will remain; Afraja, 
my father hears it. Let him go, Herr. He will not return 
By the holy name of Jubinal!” she continued, “he will not. 
I swear it to you. Swear, Afraja, swear, and flee away.” 

Afraja had raised himself up, and, like a black shadow, he 
stood still and dumb before Marstrand; suddenly he sprang 
aside, and the night quickly concealed him. 

“ He is gone !” exclaimed Gula. “ I thank you, Herr 
God’s richest thanks! They stole in, opened the chambers, 
and surprised us.” 


AFRAJA. 107 

“And where is Uda? What did Helgestad do?” asked 
Marstrand. 

The maiden answered not, but hurried into the house. He 
slowly followed her, and now, for the first time, he felt a strong 
pain in his feet. As he entered the sitting-room, Gula snatched 
a light which was burning on the table, and ran with it into 
Helgestad’s bed-room. There lay the trader upon his bed, 
bound up like a bale, with hard leathern thongs of reindeer- 
skin, double and triple lashed together. His night-cap was 
drawn over his head down to his chin ; the jaw-bones were 
pressed together with tightly-knotted bands, which put the 
whole man in such a condition, that he could not move a limb, 
and with difficulty could breathe enough air to escape suffoca- 
tion. Gula tore off the cap, and, in conjunction with Marstrand, 
loosened his bands. Helgestad’ s dark red, swollen face, by de- 
grees, resumed its natural color. He sat up, exhausted, on the 
bed, drew a deep breath, and gave no answer — until, suddenly 
springing up with a curse, he seized the light, and hobbled to 
his great bureau and chest; when he discovered that all was 
safe, he fell back into his arm-chair, somewhat tranquillised. 

“It is a wonderful event,” said he, after some moments’ 
reflection. “I would never have believed it possible. But 
where is Ilda ? where are the maid-servants ?” 

“They are asleep,” said Gula, humbly. “I listened at their 
doors, and unstrapped the bolts. No one has harmed them.” 

“ I believe it,” responded the trader. “ They sleep at the 
other end of the house, and the weather roared so that I could 
not hear the tread of the old scoundrel, until I was bound hand 
and foot, felt their villanous fingers at my throat, and observed, 
on the spot, with whom I had to deal. It was a master-stroke 
of the old devil,” he continued, with a certain satisfaction; 
“ he has more wit under his skull than many a Norman. He 
shall pay for it,” he murmured, looking at the blood-red marks 
on his hands ; “ he shall learn what it is to lash up Niels 
Helgestad, like an old sail. I would never have believed it,. 


108 


APRAJA. 


Herr Marstrand, that a Lapp would have dared to do this; no, 
not even if St. Olaf had said it.” 

He appeared, for a long time, not to be able to recover from 
this astonishment ; he gazed fixedly before him, and shook his 
head. When he had learned all that Gula and Marstrand had 
to relate, he expressed his thanks. 

“ I say it every day,” as he spoke to his guest, “you have a 
heart and head in the right place; you made a spring at the 
proper time. Otherwise, Gula would now be driven away in 
the little sled, through storm and snow, to the caverns of the 
Kilpis, and I bad lain here bound until morning, and been a laugh- 
ing-stock through all Finnmark. It is a curious adventure, Herr. 
Marstrand. No one must know of it. I shall have some blue 
stripes from it, but nothing else.” 

With this assurance he consoled himself, and was not disposed 
to consume the remainder of the night in useless vexation about 
what was now beyond remedy. “ Take the light,” said he, 
“and if you will not join in a sleeping-cup, close all the doors, 
and seek your bed. To-morrow we can consider of the matter, 
and of what we ought to do. I hope you will sleep sound and 
safe.” 

Marstrand, however, slept not. When the morning came, 
he lay in fever. His feet were sprained and swollen, and 
pained severely. Helgestad came to inquire after his condition. 

“Every one in Finnmark must be his own doctor; we have 
no learned physicians, Herr. We cure ourselves, and are 
successful in our remedies. Salt, vinegar, and clay will heal 
your feet — hensey-tea and lemon-juice will remove your fever 
— and in three days you will be in better condition than if the 
King’s physician himself had you in hand.” 

It happened as Helgestad had said. The feet of the patient 
were enveloped, and bound up, and steeped in the bitter tea. 
Gula brought him cooling drink, and remained his untiring 
nurse. Helgestad came also from time to time, put on a new 
bandage, and assured him that no one had taken notice of the 


A FRA J A. 


109 


events of the night. A -snow-staff and a Lapland knife were 
all that the rascals had left behind them ; and not a nail of his 
property was missing. 

“Nuh!” said he, “you must keep the affair secret, Herr 
Marstrand. It would be displeasing to me to have it known 
that Lappish fingers had touched my face and body. Ilda 
already laughs at me — and what would others do?” 

Marstrand promised secrecy ; but during these days, while 
the snow and storm still raged without, he would have found 
his uncertain condition very difficult to bear, had not Gula been 
his friend and attendant. She passed the greater part of her 
time with him, amused and cheered him, read to him from 
books which belonged to Ilda, and when the fever, on the 
second day, broke, she sang him songs, and played on the 
guitar, which she handled with great skill. She was eager for 
Knowledge, and sensible; her questions upon a thousand things 
af which she had heard, were inexhaustible. For hours could 
Marstrand listen to her prattle, for it amused him. Whenever 
Gula came, she regularly brought greetings and instructions 
from Ilda, but she herself never appeared in the sick-chamber; 
for it was not proper for her, Gula said, as he made some remark 
on the subject. 

“ Ilda knows what is becoming,” replied Marstrand, with a 
smile ; “ yet you know it also, little Gula. You come to your 
sick friend, and lay your cool hand upon his feverish brow. I 
thank you, dear little maiden. In the hour of need, we will 
always stand by each other. Is it not so ?” 

He reached her his hand. A gleam of joy broke from Gula’s 
dark eyes, as she took it. “ I will, oh, I will !” she merrily 
exclaimed; “but God preserve you from all trouble !” 

A joyous shout arose on the fiord, and interrupted their 
conversation. Gula ran to the window, looked out, and 
exclaimed, as she returned ; “ They are coming, the yachts are 
coming from Lofodden. They are all coming— Bjornarne, the 
fishermen, all!” She rushed to the door, but she suddenly 
10 


110 


AFR A J A. 


came to a stop, and with a look which seemed to ask pardon, 
she sat down, and seized her spindle. 

“ You must welcome your friend Bjornarne,” said Marstrand. 
“ Take him also my greeting ; you must not fail to do it.” 

After much persuasion, he induced her to leave; when she 
had gone, he tried, for the first time, his strength, and found 
that he could again walk. He sat himself at the window, to 
observe the landing. Two yachts were coming up the fiord 
under full sail. Boats, filled with people, went to meet them. 
Handkerchiefs, hats, and flags, were waved ; the whole popula- 
tion of Orenaes ran down to the landing, giving vent to their 
joy with shouts and leaps. At last, the foremost yacht came 
to anchor, and Marstrand saw Bjornarne jump on shore, and 
his father shake him by the hand, Ilda fall upon his neck, and 
Gula raise her arms in the air, and then turn around with her. 

At the same time, he perceived that two other men were 
received by Helgestad; and he recognised in them, immediately, 
the nephew of the voigt of Tromsoe, the secretary Paul Peter- 
sen, and that iron-limbed Nordlander, Olaf Yeigand, who had 
treated him so unceremoniously at the ball in Ostvaagoen. 

The secretary conversed with Ilda in a confidential, and, as it 
seemed, jocund manner. All were pleased at his jokes. 
Speaking aloud, and laughing, they drew near to the house; 
when Marstrand withdrew from the window, as he observed 
that he was the subject of the conversation. 

“What luck he has had, to fall sick,” he heard the 
secretary remark. “ I envy him the care you bestowed upon 
him.” 

“You would have done better to have turned to Gula,” 
answered the maiden ; “ she had him most in charge.” 

“A worthy nurse — the little yellow princess!” exclaimed 
Paul, laughing ; “ and what dignified society for a chamberlain 
of his Majesty !” 

The others approached, and Marstrand heard no more. Pull 
of anger against the insolent secretary, he sat up in his bed. 


AFRAJA 


111 


Soon, however, footsteps were heard on the stairs, and, in tho 
next moment, Bjornarne sprang gaily in, followed by Paul and 
Olaf. 

“God bless you, John Marstrand,” said Bjornarne, in his 
hearty manner. “ Nothing is more painful to me than to find 
you sick. I hope, however, there is no danger.” 

“ None whatever,” replied the invalid. “ Nothing but a false 
leap, Bjornarne; to-morrow I shall be up again.” 

“ Did I not,” followed Paul Petersen, while he offered him 
his hand, “ warn you to beware of false steps and leaps in this 
rugged country ? I hope, Herr Marstrand, that the renewal 
of our acquaintance will afford me occasion to give you other 
useful counsels.” 

The three young men now seated themselves by Marstrand’ s 
bed, and amused him for some time with an account of the 
incidents of their voyage, which, however, were not very 
striking. They had come with Bjornarne, to pass some time 
in Gaard von Orenaes ; and both had their peculiar views in 
this resolution. Olaf Veigand was a considerable landed pro- 
prietor of Bodoen, and belonged to one of the principal families. 
The secretary of Tromsoe had arranged it with his uncle to 
remain as long at Helgestad’s house as he would be tolerated. 

“ It would be better, on the contrary, Herr Marstrand, to say 
I will go out as soon as I can ; but I think we will pass many 
pleasant weeks together, before you will look after your new 
kingdom.” 

“ It must take place as soon as the snow melts,” answered 
the young nobleman. 

“ It can scarcely be before the end of May,” said Paul ; “ but 
have you yet selected your domain ?” 

“ Not yet,” was the curt response. 

“ Wherever it may be, it will be a warm little spot, and cost 
all kinds of strife,” said Paul, laughing; “for there is not a 
meadow, where a spring runs, to which the Lapps do not lay 
claim, as their original property, with a great clamor about 


112 


A FRA J A. 


usurpation and injustice. Meanwhile,” continued he, “ we have 
here, in the house, the daughter of the mighty lord Afraja, 
through whose favor much can be gained.” 

“ You are a fool, Paul Petersen,” said Olaf, who, until now, 
had remained silent. 

“ My dear fellow,” rejoined I’aul, “ I do not know where folly 
begins, or wisdom ends ! If I desired, without trouble, to get 
z the best piece of land, and to become rich quickly, I would 
make Afraja my father-in-law.” 

A general laugh followed this sally. 

“ I am in earnest,” exclaimed the secretary. “ The old sor- 
cerer has, at least, six thousand 'reindeer; and, in addition, he 
has treasures, in secret chests, greater than the king of Norway, 
himself, possesses. All that his ancestors gathered, he has 
concealed by means of his sorcery' '; and, if the people are to be 
credited, he knows the rich silver mine which lies high up in 
the wilderness, and of which the old sagas make mention. At 
times, he disappears for weeks. The Lapps believe that he 
then works with his spirits in subterranean mines, and no one 
dares to follow him. Two or three times have curious people, 
who attempted to watch him, never returned.” 

“ Idle lies and tales,” said Bjornarne. 

“ As far as I am concerned,” answered Paul, “ believe what 
you please ; but no one can deny that Princess Gula is such a 
match as many a Baron might aspire to.” 

“ Shame, shame upon you, Paul !” said Olaf. “ Who would 
marry a Lapland maiden ?” 

“Not I, worthy Olaf, nor any of us,” said the secretary; 
“but the enlightened people of the great world would trouble 
themselves but little whether the old Afraja wore homagers on 
his legs, and waded through the swamps with his beasts, if he 
would only furnish them with gold and silver enough to ride 
with the little stump-nosed Gula in carriages, to get up feasts, 
and to live in palaces. Ask Herr Marstrand there, if counts 


AFRAJA. 


113 


and barons would not gladly take Gula, if she came to Copen- 
hagen with a yacht full of sacks of gold.” 

“ It happens, indeed, sometimes, that men of rank marry 
rich citizens’ daughters for the sake of money,” said Mar- 
strand; “but such actions are not spoken of with approba- 
tion.” 

“ It is so, then,” said Paul Petersen, gratified in the highest 
degree, while he maliciously regarded Marstrand. “ There, you 
have heard what mighty lords, chamberlains -and gentlemen of 
the bed-chamber can descend to. What difference is there 
between cultivation and rudeness, between fine manners and 
stupid commonalty ? Here G-ula, with all her riches and pretty 
face, could scarcely find the meanest fisherman to marry her; 
and yet, in Copenhagen, the noblest men would throw them- 
selves at her feet, preferring her to a rich trader’s or brewer’s 
daughter — for G-ula is of the highest nobility, which goes back 
to the time- of Odin, and yet further, to Jubinal, and Ayka, 
the goddess of love. A maiden with such a genealogy, ori- 
ginating with the gods, could obtain a prince. Icings would 
declare her to be of equal birth; for, in Europe, it was never 
the fashion to deduce o'ne’s descent from divinity. The 
proudest, even, would be satisfied with a tiller of the soil, or a 
hunter who had sat in the ark with Noah. Is it not so, 
Bjornarne?” he exclaimed, as he clapped his friend on the 
shoulder. 

“What’s the matter?” said the latter, startled. 

“Now, by all the codfish in the Westfiord !” said the secre- 
tary, laughing, “ he has not heard a word. Where were you, 

■* then, with your five senses, my young fellow? Were they 
dancing at the wedding of the Princess. Gula with the Danish 
Baron ?” 

A deep blush suffused Bjornarne’s face. He stood up, and 
hastily and sharply said, “ Hold your evil tongue in check, 
Paul. I will not suffer you to ridicule me or anybody else. 
Keep peace in my father’s house.” 

10 * H 


114 


AFRAJA. 


The secretary smiled, and said, “ Foolish Bjornarne, why do 
you grow angry with me ? I have only spoken a kind word 
for the despised. But you do not take a jest — so let us talk 
of other matters.” 

He then adroitly turned the conversation upon the resident 
families whom he knew, and intended to visit, and spoke of 
their landed properties, and their peculiarities, and united, with 
an exact knowledge of the subject, such good-humor and wit, 
that harmony was soon again restored. Only after an hour, 
when it grew dark, and the hospitable table of the lord of Ore- 
naes awaited them, did the three young men leave the bed-side 
of the invalid, with a hope of a glad meeting on the 
morrow. 

Marstrand succeeded in making his appearance in the family 
circle on the following day. He descended the stairs as well as 
he could, and was heartily welcomed in the stuff a. The host 
sat at table, at breakfast, with his guests, and all were in the 
most perfect good-humor ; and Helgestad gave Marstrand a 
place alongside of him. Miss Ilda spoke to him some kind 
words ; and a venerable old man, who, in his black suit, occupied 
the seat of honor next to the stove, was yet warmer in his 
greetings. 

“Nuh!” said Helgestad, “you have not, surely, Herr Mar- 
strand, forgotten the pastor Klaus Hornemann. He has come 
from Tromsoe, to remain with us until he can go up to his 
foster-children, who longingly await him, like young birch 
scions.” 

“You must know, Herr Marstrand,” said the preacher, 
smiling, “that for twenty years I have travelled over Finn- 
mark, in summer ; and have now received authority from the 
government, to complete, with some other helps, the conversion 
of the unfortunate, neglected people who inhabit this inhos- 
pitable mountain land.” 

“And are all the Finns not yet converted,” inquired 
Marstrand. 


A F 11 A J A . 


115 


11 Nominally they are,” replied the parson. “They are 
prohibited the worship of their old gods, and the most of them 
probably obey the mandate ; but who is to look after them ? 
Who nourishes their Christianity ? Where is the love which 
supports and sustains them in their new faith ? In Kautokaino 
and Karasjok, churches have indeed been built, and pastors 
appointed ; which are frequented by the Laplanders during their 
gathering there in the winter months. Of what benefit is this, 
however? The preacher understands his hearers as little as 
they do him. His teachings must be translated as well as they 
can, and that with great toil. How can preachers convey 
instruction in a foreign tongue ?' How can the seed of salvation 
be made to flourish in such a manner ?” 

“Nuh !” grumbled Helgestad, “ no Christian can be expected 
to learn Finnish. They should accustom themselves to the pure 
Norwegian.” 

With a kind smile, the pastor rejoined ; “ You see, no one 
will condescend to extend a helping hand to these outcasts; 
and yet they would receive all that could be offered to them.” 

“What can be done to effectually aid them?” asked 
Marstrand. 

“But little at present, I admit,” answered Hornemann; 
“but yet something. The government has directed me to 
report if it is advisable to build some new churches in the 
interior of the country; I shall advise to the contrary. The 
Lapps wander up and down with the herds, and even in winter 
they change their camping-grounds ; and only in the very worst 
weather do they halt for some months, where they can best 
shelter their animals. Consequently, churches are of no use ; 
they would remain deserted for nine or ten months in the year; 
and what sad influences solitude and seclusion produce upon the 
pastors sent 'thither, we have, alas ! the most melancholy 
examples. Three in Kautokaino lost their speech and reason.” 

“The whole rabble are not worth the loss of one honest 
man,” said Olaf. 


116 


AFRAJA. 


“ I shall advise the government, instead of building churches, 
to send thither pious servants of the Lord, who, as travellers 
and pilgrims, shall proclaim His holy word. Such men, filled 
with faith, and the inspiration of their sacred calling, would 
stand up against all trials and difficulties, and could accomplish 
much. They could wander from family to family, and travel 
with them from camp to camp, succoring the distressed, and 
protecting the weak, until the seed was sown from which fruit- 
bearing plants would spring up.” 

Paul Petersen, who, until now, had been silent, with the 
exception of an occasional jesting laugh, said to the pastor; 
“ You are a worthy and pious man — but do you really believe 
anything good can ever be made of these reindeer herdsmen 
and hunters of the mountains ? Every family there lives and 
dwells by itself — to-day here, to-morrow there. With their 
tents, they follow the reindeer; no effort is made by them after 
a fixed abode, more civilized customs, and orderly life. In 
their estimation, nothing is superior to their freedom, as they 
call it, and only those who cannot help themselves come down 
to the coasts, and become fishermen, at colonial settlements 
granted to them by the government. There they establish 
themselves; but they envy, even to the bitterest hate, their 
brethren of the wilderness ; and whenever it is possible, they 
return to their mountain deserts. Reindeers and Lapps, like 
the ancient centaurs, have grown together; man and beast are 
united in one being, which inseparably lives and dies. It would 
be better, and nothing can prevent it, if they should all perish. 
In the last century, they numbered over one hundred thousand 
souls, and now they are reduced to nearly one half of that num- 
ber; in the next century, they will not amount to twenty-five 
thousand people, and will finally disappear altogether.” 

“ And who, Herr Petersen, is responsible for this decline of 
a race of people ?” asked the pastor, in a kindly tone. 

“Oh ! I know,” said the secretary, “you hold it to be our 
fault. We have taken away their pasture-grounds, introduced 


AFRA J A. 


117 


among them brandy and infectious maladies, impoverished and 
maltreated them — but all this is a mere dream. Instead of the 
perishing red-skins, the Normans and Quanes have increased, 
and with every year their emigration hither increases; they 
bring with them industrious habits, and make money. Tromsoe 
will soon become a fine town, and, in a hundred years, houses 
and churches will be erected on all the fiords and sounds. Let 
this .shepherd race, which cannot be civilized, continue to melt 
away; such must be God’s will, otherwise it would not happen. 
You must recognise it as a law of heaven ; for it is repeated 
everywhere, and in all time. Civilization prevails, and makes 
itself room wherever it goes ; inferior existences perish, because 
they deserve no better fate, and their organization is no longer 
suitable to their preservation.” 

“ And thus,” answered the missionary, “ all the cruelty which 
has been perpetrated in the world could he justified. Thus 
the Spaniards ravage America, and with such a pretext of right 
are men carried into slavery, and treated like beasts of burden ” 

“ The Lapps were never treated in such a manner,” inter- 
rupted the secretary. 

“No,” said the pastor; “it could not be done with them, 
as in many of the civilized countries of Europe, with the great 
mass of the people ; they are neither serfs nor vassals — for they, 
luckily, possess neither huts nor fruitful land. To them belongs 
only the boundless waste, whither no land-voigt and no tax- 
gatherer can follow them. They are left to their misery, and 
despised with a contempt worse than the deadliest hate ; and 
yet they are a docile, intelligent, and reflecting people, endowed 
with many mental gifts, and various capabilites. There are 
among them men who, under other circumstances, would be 
renowned for their wisdom and capability.” 

“ You mean Afraja, Herr Hornemann,” exclaimed Petersen, 
smiling; “ and I confess that the old fellow is more shrewd and 
subtle' than all the rest, although none are wanting in malice 
and cunning when a Norman is to be cheated; you should 


118 


AFRAJA. 


however, say but little in praise of these wild heathen, as it is 
well known that but few believe in the word of God, and that 
only by threats of severe punishment are they prevented from 
offering further sacrifices to Jubinal, and their other cruel 
divinities.” 

The preacher, with a painful smile, bowed his grey head, and 
said to the secretary ; “ If we were all better Christians, Afraja 
might, at last, become one.” 

Petersen’s face glowed with scorn. “ That reminds me,” said 
he, “ of a story which I heard some time ago. Afraja was once 
converted. A pious man, (I forget his name), took the greatest 
trouble to soften his stony heart. He expatiated to him an 
entire day upon the teachings of Christianity, and related the 
wonders of the Lord, to astonish and edify him. But Afraja 
remained as incredulous as ever. He at length laughed out- 
right, and said ; ‘ Do you think, parson, that I consider such 
silly tales as true? They are written in your books, I know; 
but who has ever seen such things ? What the old sagas report 
to the living is, for the most part, of not as much value as a 
reindeer-shoe; if your God is, indeed, as mighty as you pretend, 
and if you are his instrument, show me what you both Ought to 
be able to do — change this stone into bread.’ Thereupon he 
kicked at a great stone, and grinned like an ape — for he 
observed the embarrassment of the holy man, who had got into 
a tight place. There was, however, no hesitation. The parson 
threw himself upon his face, over the stone, which he covered 
with his long robe. He prayed for some time with holy zeal, 
and with the courage of a true believer, and at last jumped up, 
exclaiming; ‘In the name of God, stone, I command you to 
become bread !’ And behold ! the old sorcerer was dumb from 
fear and astonishment ; for the stone was gone, and a large loaf 
of bread lay in its place. ‘ Are you now convinced, obdurate 
skeptic ? Do you not perceive what a Christian can effect V 
Instead of answering, Afraja bent down, and took and broke 
the bread; which truly was, not only bread, but contained 


AFR A J A. 


119 


within it a baked fish, as is customary with the coast people, 
when they go on a long journey. ‘Verily, priest/ said the 
heathen, ‘ your divinity is very gracious ; for he gives more than 
is asked of him. Take what he has bestowed upon you, and 
depart ! Your way is long, and you might suffer from hunger ; 
but, before you go, see what my gods can perform/ At these 
words, he took up another stone, and as he thrust it with one 
hand into his coat, with the other he drew out a huge reindeer 
cheese. ‘ My stone has become cheese/ said he, ‘ as much as 
your stone, bread. Take it, and thank Jubinal. It will, no 
doubt, taste well, as it is of the best quality.” 

A shout of laughter rewarded the secretary, who regarded 
the pastor with a self-complacent look. Klaus Ilornemann, 
however, lost none of his forbearance; he gently shook his 
head, and, with an expressive sadness, remarked ; “ An answer 
to your tale cannot be expected of me, Herr Petersen ; but if a 
Christian and a judge, such as you are, can so frivolously make 
a jest of the High and Holy One, what may not the heathen 
Finns do, who are so despicable in your eyes ?” 

“Worthy man,” replied the secretary, “your black coat gives 
you the privilege to be uncivil, I do not accept your rebuke ; 
for, in this case, I can justify my jesting, as you call it. It is 
hard to remain serious, when one reflects how the Lapps, for some 
time, have been fondled and cajoled. They are represented to 
the government as unhappy, persecuted creatures, possessed of 
the most extraordinary qualities. They must first become 
Christians, and then their talents will be cultivated, and, in a 
short time, from this chosen people, not only merchants and 
landholders, but also judges, and voigts, and schoolmasters will 
issue, who will drive the Norman stock out of the land. What 
do you say to this? Is it not so ?” 

“ Were there some truth in your remarks,” replied Horne- 
mann, smiling, “ my heart would be refreshed at it.” 

“ And is it not true,” said Petersen, maliciously, “ that you 
have sent frightful reports to the Governor of Trondheim, and 


120 


AFR A J A. 


to Copenhagen , of the misery and cruelty we inflict upon thig 
wonderful people? Have they not especially spoken of the 
Voigt of Tromsoe and his nephew, the sworn secretary, as two 
of the bitterest enemies and persecutors of your unfortunate 
foster-children ?” 

“ My office,” replied the old man, with dignity, 11 obliges me 
to assist in exposing evil wherever I find it ; to accuse is not 1 
my affair — I am neither a judge nor an avenger.” His cool- 
ness, and the reproving earnestness of his defence, made an 
impression even upon Petersen. The tall, commanding figure 
of the pastor, his long gray hair floating in white locks over 
his shoulders, his friendly-beaming eyes, and his fine, proud 
countenance, altogether combined to form a most venerable and 
reverential presence. 

Unable to make any reply, Paul arose and diverted the con- 
versation to other matters. Immediately afterwards, he went 
out with Helgestad, who had two law questions to submit to 
him ; Bjornarne looked after the unlading of the yachts ; his 
friend, Olaf, offered to keep company with Ilda; and Marstrand 
remained sitting alone with the pastor, who spoke to him in- 
structively of many things, listened to his relations, commended 
his resolution, and gave him much useful advice thereon. 

The presence of the missionary in the house of the trader 
already formed a peculiar division between the two different 
parties of the society who here dwelt together. Helgestad and 
the secretary evidently bore but little good-will toward the old 
pastor; who, modest and forbearing as he was, knew howto 
command respect and assert his opinions. Ilda, on the con- 
trary, associated herself as heartily with her old teacher as her 
earnest character admitted; and Gula joined with her in the 
manifestation of a tender veneration and care for Klaus Ilorne- 
mann. The venerable pastor, with his love of man and his 
mildness, and his faith in God, was, indeed, a heart-winning 
and consoling spectacle for Marstrand. How far was he elevated 
in his contemplations above Helgestad and all those avaricious, 


AFRAJA. 


121 


money-making proprietors of fishing-places and fiords ) and what 
a sublime contrast his self-denying life presented to the excesses 
of these men, who, for the most part, found a compensation for 
their toil only in drunkenness and gluttony ! The Lord of Ore- 
naes would have more pointedly shown his dissatisfaction at a 
longer stay of the old fool, as he called him, if a great number 
of people had not clung to him with a sort of idolatry, and the 
government had not sustained him so effectually. In whatever 
cottage or stately residence the pastor entered, it would have 
been considered a gross shame and affront not to give him, 
gladly, the best place by the stove. That he ascended to the 
children of the despised race in the mountains, sought them 
out in the remotest recesses of the waste, to bring them love, 
consolation, and help, was a fact which greatly increased the 
sanctity of his name. No one ever smiled or spoke jestingly 
of him, without an apologetical remark that Klaus Hornemann’s 
good heart led him too far, so that he made no distinction be- 
tween man and man. But Klaus Ilornemann was for the fish- 
ermen on the coasts, as well as for the colonists, and for all who 
had fallen into misfortune, a true friend and helper. He set- 
tled disputes, raised up the fallen, influenced the creditor to 
lenity, concluded contracts, assisted the poor, gave willingly of 
what he possessed, and improved the relations of the different 
classes of the population to such a degree, that no one in the 
land enjoyed so much consideration as this old man, whose only 
property was his pilgrim’s staff and his travelling-pouch. He 
indeed possessed a tolerable parish on the extremity of Nord- 
land and Finnmark, but he employed the greater part of the 
year in his wanderings ) fts the government, which then main- 
tained no bishop at Tromsoe, had appointed him, both as their 
agent and general Vicar of Finnmark, to hold visitations, pre- 
pare reports, and make propositions. His official position was 
of importance enough to restrain the insolence of the voigts, 
sorenskriver, land-judges and under-voigts, and to induce them 
to seek his friendship ; and the more so, as it was known that 
II 


122 


AFRAJA. 


Hornemann was befriended by the governor in Trondheim, the 
old General Munte, who ruled over more than an hundred miles 
of coast, and stood in high esteem in Copenhagen. 

The old man was thus no inconsiderable person in ultima 
thule. He was, however, as well a subject of the most devoted 
affection and veneration as of secret aversion ; which, of late, 
with many officials and rich traders, had visibly increased, since 
it was known that Hornemann’s reports had spoken in a very 
decided and censorious tone concerning the state of things. 
The secretary had clearly enough expressed this aversion, and 
his own feelings were not withheld. 

On the next day, as the weather was milder, the pastor visited 
the different settlements on both shores of the Lyngenfiord, and 
several times Marstrand accompanied him on these excursions; 
but they at last extended to a remote distance, and were neces- 
sarily undertaken in a boat. The young settler was glad in this 
manner to escape the society of the secretary, who annoyed him 
with his sympathy, and whose increasing power in Gaard von 
Orenaes was unpleasant to him. A reason for wandering with 
Hornemann was not difficult to find, as some families, who pos- 
sessed trading-posts on the farthest fiord upon the island of Aloen, 
and even at Maursund and Kargoe, had often invited him to 
visit them. The old Helgestad had no objections to make; 
Bjornarne, who stood between both parties, thought it very 
proper to seek to become acquainted with the people and the 
country; his sister, as usual, had no comments to make; and 
the only sorrowful eyes that followed him were those of Gula. 

“ Will you not return again ?” she asked, as die took leave 
of her. 

“ Certainly ;” said he; “my whole absence will, at most, 
last only two weeks ; for it is near May, and it is growing green 
in the valleys.” 

“ It will be lonesome here when you go away,” she sorrow- 
fully answered. 


A F II A J A . 


123 


i( Lonesome, dear Gula!” lie exclaimed, smiling. “It will 
be more cheerful, I should think. Bjornarne has almost fin- 
ished his labors ; Paul Petersen has overlooked all the account- 
books, and arranged with the debtors ; the good-hearted, merry 
Olaf, will fish, hunt, and take you a walking, and the neighbors 
have promised visits. The Yoigt of Kaaffiord will come with 
his daughters : you will dance and sing; and the evenings are 
now long ; the beautiful clear nights, which you so much de- 
sired, already glimmer through the windows / 7 

“ What is that to me ?” she replied, with her peculiar im- 
pulsiveness. “ The good old man, who loves me, goes away, 
and takes you with hint. It will be lonesome for me. I shall 
no more hear your voice ; he will no more instruct me of eve- 
nings ; I will sit in my corner and weep when the secretary 
makes jests on me / 7 

“ He will not ridicule you ; 77 said Marstrand, encouragingly. 
“Bjornarne, your friend, and Ilda are with you . 77 

“ Bjornarne , 77 she stammered, “is good, but 77 she shook 

her head and looked on the ground ; “ we will all be melan- 
choly, and Ilda too, for she loves you . 77 

Her black eyes were upturned inquisitively to his; he smiled, 
and gently replied, “ Ilda loves others better than me, and my 
return will afford her no greater joy than if I were to remain. 
You will, however, think of me, dear Gula, and receive me as 
a friend . 77 

“ I will always think of you ! 77 she gaily exclaimed ; “ and 
will not be sad, because I know that you will return. Wherever 
you may be, you will see the lofty peaks of the Kilpis ; and 
whenever you look upon them, will you not remember Gula ?” 

) He promised it, and she was satisfied. Ilornemann came in, 
spoke long and friendly with her, and benignantly laid his 
hand upon her head. “This child, Herr Marstrand , 77 he 
said, “is a consolation for me, and reminds me that I have 
not lived in vain, and that it is not an idle lie, when, to the 
honor of God I offer her as a testimony that he has not re- 


124 


A F R A J A . 


jected or forgotten any of his creatures. This maiden has pro- 
ceeded from the Great Sculptor’s hand adorned with beauty and 
understanding. And why could not many or all be like her 
if equal love and care were bestowed upon them ? Therefore 
I tarry in this house, where I see before me the result of my 
labors — the intelligent Ilda, whose conduct is that of a true 
Christian, and the gifted child Gula, who, endowed with a won- 
derful quickness of apprehension, learns to understand what to 
others is difficult or impossible. But, alas ! the pupils would 
be yet better if there were better teachers.” 

The following morning, the boat proceeded up the fiord to 
the next trading establishment ; where they were gladly received, 
and entertained with Norwegian hospitality. Besides commer- 
cial spirit and the love of gain, Marstrand found everywhere, 
also, the virtues of the Norman people — simple, quiet habits, 
an industrious life, a hospitable hearth, and an open hand for 
the stranger and the oppressed. When Hornemann wandered 
through the cottages, giving counsel, hearing complaints, and 
affording aid, Marstrand, who remained behind, was frequently 
questioned touching his relations with Helgestad. “ He is a 
man,” was the concluding remark of these conversations, “ who 
knows how to carry a thing through. He will advise you of 
what is proper ; for if there be one in the land who can over- 
come difficulties, it is Niels Helgestad.” On such occasions, 
Marstrand also heard speculations upon the pecuniary resources 
of his patron expressed, many of which seemed extravagant. 
At that time, the business with Bergen was almost entirely con- 
ducted by barter, and the merchants in Bergen acted almost in 
the same manner with the fish and oil purveyors of Finnmark 
as the latter with their dependants. They did not give specie 
for their products, but merchandize of all kinds. Every fish- 
trader and proprietor of a trading-post had his account and cre- 
dit with one of the great houses in Bergen ; who, firmly ad- 
hering together, rendered it impossible for the fish purveyors to 
liberate themselves from their absolute rule. The prices were 


A F 11 A J A . 


125 


fixed in common ; no one of the rich Signors upon the German 
bridge gave one farthing more than another; and if any one 
showed a refractory spirit he was put under the ban. No mer- 
chant would take his goods until, rendered wise by losses, he sup- 
pliantly promised obedience and amendment. Ilelgestad had 
found means to release himself from this tyranny of the mer- 
chant lords of Bergen. He had formed connections with the 
merchants in Flensburg, whom he invited to export brandy, 
grain and flour, and all kinds of merchandise, into Finnmark. 
The traffic with the enterprising port of Schleswig rose to a 
flourishing and profitable condition. Ilelgestad became their 
agent, and loaded the vessels of Flensburg with his salt and 
cod-fish, which now traded directly with Spain, and Italy, and 
the Mediterranean. Ships of these countries were, by this 
means, first attracted to the fishing-grounds of Lofodden, and 
the Bergen merchants grew alarmed lest the greatest part of 
their important commerce should be taken away from them. 

Had the Norwegian traders all possessed the enterprising 
spirit and perseverance of Helgestad, the merchants in Bergen 
would have been reduced to a sad condition ; but most of them 
were too indolent, and too much addicted to custom and a love 
of ease, to unite in such vigorous measures. They could, at least, 
have compelled the Bergen despots to pay them in specie, and 
to abandon the right of forcing upon them merchandise of their 
own selection — a state of things such as prevails at present, and 
to which Helgestad, by dint of resolution, had already arrived. 
To pacify him, it was agreed that he might buy and sell with 
any one ; and he selected a person through whom he could most 
cheaply purchase his goods; and every year he returned toLyn- 
genfiord with large quantities of specie in hand, by which he 
was enabled to make highly profitable purchases; he thus 
became so rich that he did not know the extent of his wealth, 
according to common repute, and had more money than ho 
knew what to do with. He had lent out a great deal of capital 
— oreat and small people were in his hands— and he possessed 
11 * 


126 


AFR A J A. 


land and trading-posts down to the Quanarnerfiord and the 
islands. Upon the rocky island Loppen, which was then 
famous for its countless swarms of birds, which produced the 
best feathers for exportation, he had put up an establishment, 
and had monopolised almost all that business. In summer, his 
sloops caught rayfish and seal on the remotest cliffs of Hvaloen ; 
and he had once sent his son Bjornarne as far as Spitsbergen, 
in quest of walruses. All this, and much more, mingled with 
admiration and fear of old Helgestad, who Was considered to be 
the richest and boldest speculator in the country, Marstrand 
learned touching his friend. He saw, also, that Bjornarne was 
esteemed as a jovial, good-natured person, entirely subservient 
to his father’s will, and industrious in his habits. His sister, 
however, held a much more uncertain position in public 
opinion. She was much commended, as a young lady who, 
although a child at her mother’s death, had presided over her 
father’s house with skill and energy. She was also far better 
educated than any other of the maidens of the country. She 
could write, and keep accounts better than Helgestad and his 
son, both together; she read both Banish and Swedish, played 
and sang on the guitar, and was mild and kind to the poor, 
and such as suffered from her father’s severity; but amid all 
this praise of her virtues, Marstrand clearly saw that there 
was much prejudice and censorious feeling against her. 

As he once made a remark on this latter point, the pastor 
smilingly said; “ You must not be surprised at such judgments 
upon a maiden like Uda. Here, as everywhere else, people 
judge by themselves; and what they do not understand, they 
condemn. Helgestad is a man of great wordly prudence, which 
he has often demonstrated, and which his friends, as well as his 
enemies, fear. Bjornarne is true and loyal, open-hearted and 
cordial, as his father is subtle and calculating ; and as to Ilda, 
with her strength of mind and character, and goodness of heart, 
she is so much superior to most of them, that she excites their 
jealousy and animosity.” 


AFR A J A. 


127 


“You extol both the heart and intellect of this cold maiden,” 
answered Marstrand ; “ but how is it possible that Ilda” — and 
here he hesitated a little — “ how is it possible that, she can 
find pleasure in the society of the secretary of Tromsoe.” 

“ Is she pleased with him ?” asked Hornemann. 

“She accepts his low homage,” said Marstrand. “He is 
constantly at her side; she has a ready ear for his jests, and a 
complying eye for his wishes. Do you not think that a dispas- 
sionate person, like myself, can see when a man is favored ?” 

“Are you then dispassionate, dear friend?” said the 
preacher, with a penetrating glance of his large eyes. 

Marstrand could not suppress a certain embarrassment. “ I 
believe so,” he replied; “yet is it not true, that Ilda will 
become this man’s wife ?” 

“ You do not use the right word. Say, rather, whose wife 
will she be ?” 

The Danish baron good-humoredly replied; “That he did 
not think a maiden of such strength of mind, and such influence 
over her father, could be forced into a marriage not agreeable to 
her.” 

“ You are in error,” was Hornemann’s answer. “ Helgestad, 
for some years, has been agreed with the Yoigt of Tromsoe on 
this matter, who rendered him a very important service. By 
means of Paulsen, Helgestad obtained the concession of the 
Loppen island, and its profitable feather product; while, at the 
same time, a costly law-suit was thus settled. The voigt is, 
moreover, a too important person not to give him reason to hope 
for other favors from him ; and as to his nephew, who will be 
his successor, he is the only man who can take position with 
Helgestad; and, indeed, in many points, he excels him.” 

“ I believe you are right,” muttered Marstrand. 

“ When two such men meet together, they must quarrel, 
unless they prefer to conduct their affairs in common,” con- 
tinued the missionary. “ Both know their own interests, and 
both, perhaps, conceal their real sentiments; but Helgestad 


128 


AFRAJA. 


could never deny his daughter to the secretary, if he should 
ask for her hand. Ilda cannot, also, refuse — because the union 
would he honorable ; no maiden in Finnmark would do other- 
wise. Children in this country, Herr Marstrand, are accus- 
tomed, moreover, to yield implicitly to the will of their parents. 
It would excite an universal horror, if any one should oppose 
the parental wishes in such a matter, on the ground of dislike 
to the suitor. We never hear of such cases here. I myself 
would lose all my consideration, if I should protect or defend 
such a child. If you consider these things, you will judge Ilda 
differently. I do not know if she is satisfied with her lot; but 
I am certain that she has enough good sense to do what, after 
mature consideration, appears to be right. She will seek to win 
the affections of the man who is destined for her; and she will 
believe that his faults may be ameliorated by her love, and she 
will make every effort to secure the happiness of her future life. 
This,” said he, “ is my opinion of Ilda's conduct, and it has my 
entire concurrence.” 

After two weeks had been passed in these excursions among 
the fiords, the pastor came to the resolution to extend his journey 
farther than he had at first proposed. The weather had become 
so uncommonly mild and warm, that he could, with but little 
trouble, extend his visits into the swarm of fiords and sounds, 
which here seemed to converge, like rays of light. Mar- 
strand was not disposed • to follow him ; for, however pleasing 
was the society of the old pastor, the monotony of this long 
excursion was tedious. Both of them ascended together the 
precipitous rocks which enclose the narrow Maursound, and 
after some hours they reached the summit of a mountain chain, 
which runs between the two great fiords. The misty sides of 
the Kilpis loomed up in the distance, and, for the first time, 
Marstrand remembered his promise to Gula. 

Hornemann pointed to both sides of the fjeld below. 
“ There,” said he, “ you .see the watery mirror of the Lyngen- 
fiord ; here the way descends to the Quananger, to which I must 


A F R A J A . 


129 


direct my steps in tlie performance of my duty. Active as you 
are, before the night sets in you will be in Gaard von Aloen, 
and to-morrow you can be sitting by Helgestad’s fireside. I 
think,” he continued, smiling, “ you feel a longing to be there. 
Am I not right ?” 

“ I will not deny it,” said Marstrand; “but where is my 
home ? What will become of me ? I am full of anxiety and 
mistrust as to the issue of my undertaking.” 

“All issues are in the hand of God — all peace is his work. 
I will see you again when I return, a month hence. What I 
can do, by counsel and deed, will never be wanting to you ; and 
as to advice, receive this one in parting. Learn as much as you 
can in Orenaes; accept Helgestad’s aid; but never forget that 
you have to deal with a calculating trader. The more indepen- 
dent you are the better ; and the more you show him, to use 
his own favorite saying, that you understand the thing, the more 
inclined he will be to treat you fairly. With joy, Herr Mar- 
strand, I see you in this country, which, alas ! is sadly defi- 
cient in magnanimous and enlightened men. Hearts appear 
also to grow benumbed under the ice; but, no, no!” he ex- 
claimed, lifting up his eyes, “it will grow better — we are 
advancing, not retroceding. The manners ameliorate, men 
become more just, and the Lord sent you hither, I am sure, to 
effect many good and great things.” 

“What can I do,” said Marstrand, “forlorn and poor as 
I am ?” 

“ A man, such as you, can accomplish much,” replied the 
pastor, as, with beaming eyes, he looked upon the face of Mar- 
strand. “You are young, intelligent, high-minded; and this 
will procure you respect. Your name, your descent, your 
fortune, will help thereto. Look around over this wide ex- 
panse of islands, mountains, coasts, and yonder angry sea. 
I am not the tempter,” he resumed, with a smile, “ who car- 
ries you to a high rock, and says, 1 Cleave to me, and all this 

I 


130 


AFRAJA. 


shall be yours.’ I have no lands nor power to give away, but 
I appeal to you, young man, who have come to this wild, solitary 
land, where there is so much unrighteousness and misery — I 
appeal to you, as a just and true man, to receive the forsaken, 
to suffer no wrong which you can prevent, and, as far as in your 
power may lie, to promote the progress of all that is good. I 
desire no answer. Of what avail is yea or nay, where the power 
and the deed are wanting. Strive after truth, my noble young 
friend, and God will be with you in all your ways.” 

At these words he pressed Marstrand’s hand again, and 
proceeding to the edge of the swampy fjeld, descended from 
rock to rock, until he finally disappeared. 


CHAPTER VI. 

Marstrand reached Orenaes only on the third day, where 
he was cordially welcomed as a long-missed guest. Helgestad 
came down to the water’s edge, and received him with the 
strongest marks of affection. 

“ Nuh !” said he, after the first greetings, 11 1 have been at 
work for you in the meanwhile. I have engaged carpenters 
and laborers from Tromsoe and the fiord, to aid us in erecting 
your house. Dry beams and planks are bought for the con- 
struction of the interior; and a dozen men are engaged, in the 
meantime, to fell trees, that the building may commence with 
the summer.” 

Marstrand quietly listened to all he had to say, and at last 
laughingly demanded where, in truth, his house was to be built. 

“ At the Balsfiord,” replied Helgestad ; “ on the beautiful 
Balsfiord, which joins with the Ulvsfiord ; there, by right of 
your royal patent, you will take possession. If the weather 


APRAJA. 


131 


bolds good, we will go thither as soon as you are rested. You 
shall see the little place, and I know it will please you. Null ! 
say nothing more !” He turned and pointed to his largest and 
newest yacht, which lay by the warehouse, apparently deeply 
laden. “Look; there,” he proceeded, “is the fair Ilda. with 
whom you are already acquainted ; this time, however, she has 
no salt under her ribs ; but barrel on barrel of clear liver oil. 
He related how many more casks he had made this year than 
the preceding one, and how he hoped to be the first arrival 
and to get a good price. The yacht, in a week, at furthest, 
was to go to Bergen, and on the way to touch at Lofodden, to 
look after the fish-scaffolds, and to set to rights whatever might 
be in disorder. At last he closed with an invitation to his 
protegee to accompany him on this voyage, and to inspect in 
person his own fish, and to learn the important trade at Ber- 
gen. “ You will thus have gone through your year’s appren- 
ticeship,” he said, as they went towards the house, “ and you 
can further take care of yourself as you deem best.” 

“Is the house empty?” ask§d the Dane, as he saw no one 
at the door or windows. 

Helgestad smiled. “ You have, it seems, no ear now for the 
most important affairs ; you would hear of lighter matters, and 
you shall have them. They are all there above, at Ilda’s seat. 
I calculate you have a good eye and fine ear. I will not conceal 
from you that Olaf and Paul have their views.” 

“I think so,” replied Marstrand, jocularly. 

“ They are both excellent fellows, and it is difficult to say 
which is the best;” continued Helgestad, thoughtfully. “ Olaf 
has a rich property at Badoen ; Paul Petersen, with Grod’s per- 
mission, will soon be Yoigt, and the Yoigt in Tromsoe can be- 
come Amtmann, if Finnmark has its own separate administra- 
tion. Paul is the finer, more learned man, has much under- 
standing and sound sense, and there is no superior to him in 
the land. Olaf has a better leg and arm than head, can do the 
work of three persons, and is upright and true. I am per- 


132 


AERAJA. 


plexed, Herr Marstrand,” he hummed; with a shake of the 
head, “ and have thought about it for many an hour. It is like 
a thread in a cable, to which no end can be found.” 

“But the end must, however, be found;” replied Marstrand. 

“ Because Ilda needs only one man,” said Helgestad, laugh- 
ing. “ That, I calculate, is a just conclusion ; but I should 
like to have your advice in the matter, Herr Marstrand.” 

The young man was surprised at this information and request. 
It seemed to him as if he were especially honored. As Helge- 
stad never did anything without an object in view, he suspected 
that his purpose was to ascertain if he himself would not like 
to be a third suitor. 

After a moment’s reflection, it seemed to him the best policy 
to coincide with Helgestad’s mode of thinking. “ If I were to 
advise in such a case,” he said, “ I would permit two such wor- 
thy suitors to press their claims until one of them retires before 
the evident success of his rival and leaves him a clear field. 
Both are useful, and may be made use of in various ways. 
Wherefore should you, then, offend such valuable friends, and 
convert one of them into an enemy ? A prudent man will not 
be in a hurry where he has nothing to lose by waiting. By the 
time you return from the Bergen voyage, Miss Ilda will be able 
to determine who deserves her preference.” 

“ Null !” said Helgestad, regarding Marstrand, while he 
spoke, with increasing satisfaction, “you judge with the wisdom 
of Solomon. Sit down here, Herr; mix a glass of welcome 
and drink to good luck ! The best treasure for a man on earth 
is a good wife, who understands housekeeping, and can bring a 
suitable dowry with her.” 

He next asked all sorts of questions touching the families 
whom Marstrand had visited, commended the comfortable ease 
of some, and the good breeding of others. “ And is there no 
maiden among them that pleased you ?” he inquired, with a 
smile. 

“ My situation is so peculiar,” said Marstrand, after a pause, 


AFR A J A. 


133 


u that I shall not think of taking a wife until I can do it with 
propriety. I have observed the distrust with which I am re- 
garded. The principal families will not compromit themselves 
with me until they see how I succeed. I will at present remain 
single, and will show what I am capable of, and the time will 
come when I can ask the hand of some maiden without fear of 
refusal from the father. Years may elapse ; hut I am young, 
and have courage. I can do what others have done. I will 
faithfully follow your advice, Herr Helgestad, and merit your 
aid as well as I can.” 

“I calculate,” said Helgestad, with an approbatory nod ? 
11 that you are right. For the present, establish yourself at 
Balsfiord in your new house ; there will be no lack of visitors 
there ; make a couple of good hits, and you can get whoever 
you choose.” 

u The main point,” said Marstrand, tl is, that I shall have 
need of your assistance ; for without it I cannot begin.” 

“Nuh!” exclaimed Helgestad; “ no one ever heard it said 
that I deserted any one to whom I had once given my hand and 
word. You shall want nothing at Balsfiord. But here comes 
Ilda,” said he, rising, u with the others, who will all be glad to 
see you again.” 

This was the case ; and the evening passed off as agreeably 
as it was possible in Gaard von Orenaes. Marstrand related his 
adventures, the secretary cracked his jokes, and Ilda appeared 
to have grown much more cheerful and talkative with the return 
of the guest. He sought in vain, however, to get near to his 
friend Gula. She kept at a distance, and coyly turned her 
eyes away from him. He could with great difficulty exchange 
only a few words with her, and during the whole evening she 
was constantly engaged, or seated close by the side of her pro- 
tectress. 

On the following day, the industry of the house resumed its 
accustomed activity. Marstrand helped Bjornarne and Olaf in 
the warehouses, and in the lading of the yacht. 

12 


134 


A FRA J A. 


Paul Petersen was engaged with Helgestad ; and Marstrand 
observed that the influence of the secretary had increased con- 
siderably during his absence. He decided all kinds of matters ; 
and Helgestad yielded to his opinion much more readily than 
was to be expected of him. 

The little journey to the Balsfiord was now to be accom- 
plished ; for the weather was good, and he was anxious to fix 
himself in his new settlement and commence his efforts for 
future success. As lie was to set out on the morrow, many 
preparations of various kinds were to be made. From Lyngen- 
fiord, a high and difficult fjeld was to be crossed, which forms 
the dividing line with the Ulvsfiord. Two horses were to be 
laden with stores, and provisions were to be carried for several 
days’ use. Marstrand helped Ilda to pack up all sorts of wares 
and things, which were also to be taken along for the wood- 
cutters. 

For a long time both Marstrand and his assistant preserved 
silence ; for there was something between them which closed 
their lips. When he looked upon Ilda, he thought of the secre- 
tary, and what Hornemann had said to him. He was oppressed 
with a deep dejection of spirits, he knew not why, and he could 
not speak. Ilda also said only what was necessary to facilitate 
their mutual labor. 

- u Who is there above ?” he asked, looking up to the window 
on which the evening glow of the sun was shining, and per- 
ceiving two figures on the rock by the fiord. 

“It is Gula and my brother;” answered Ilda. 

“ Is Gula sick ?” he continued. 

Ilda responded in the negative, and both were again silent 
until the basket was filled, and then she took up the inquiry 
again. “ Gula is not sick,” she began, “ but I can imagine what 
induces you to think she is so. She formerly treated you with 
much confidence, but now you find her conduct changed. She 
avoids you, and that appears strange.” 


AFRAJA. 


135 


u It is so,” replied Marstrand, “ but what has induced her so 
to act ?” 

“ Mj advice and her own good judgment,” was the answer. 

“ You must know,” she said, as she resumed her work, “ that 
her passion for you has brought her into ridicule. In the sim- / 

plicity of her heart, and in your kindness towards a poor, for- 
saken being, you did not think how falsely men would judge of 
the relations between you. When you left us, deep sadness 
settled upon her countenance. She who formerly laughed so 
heartily and ran about so light of foot, wept at every word and 
jest. After some days, I spoke with her; and, as I think, I 
did right. I showed her that her conduct was foolish ; and I 
think, in so doing, I rendered you, also, a service. I have thus 
explained to you why she avoids you. Do you not admit the 
propriety of my course ?” 

“ I must confess you have acted wisely ;” said Marstrand, 
with emotion. 

“ Reflect upon it,” said Ilda, with the same tranquillity, 

“and yoif will find that if you are Gula’s friend you must be 
severe towards her.” 

“ How hard it is !” he said, after some minute’s silence, with 
a sigh, and in a barely audible whisper; “the only being who 
has gratefully and trustingly approached me in this land, I must 
keep at a distance.” 

She turned her eyes upon him without uttering a word, but 
it was an eloquent and reproving glance. “ To-morrow,” she 
resumed, “ you will go to Balsfiord ; and when you return the 
yacht will be ready for sailing. You will need six weeks for 
the Bergen voyage, when your house will be completed, and you 
will leave us for a long time. I hope while you are far away 
that Klaus Hornemann will visit us in Orenaes. Gula is his 
pet, and he will take good care of her.” 

With these words she left him. After some time, Marstrand 
went forward, and leaning on the railing of the pilework of the 
ware-house, contemplated the dark water and the yacht, as it 


136 


APR A JA. 


rose and fell upon the heaving sea. He was alone ; the work- 
men had ceased their labors, and he was left to the undis- 
turbed enjoyment of his thoughts. The communication of Ilda 
was a frank confession that the poor child of the wilderness 
had bestowed her affections upon him. Therefore, was her face 
so pale — therefore, her eyes so unsteady and sunken. For this 
reason she avoided him, and averted her glance, and, at Ilda’s 
command, had scarcely entered the room the whole day. He 
angrily reflected upon the fact, that Ilda must have acted to 
her with great rigor, to have enforced her to such conduct. 
His blood fired at the cold-hearted wisdom of this female 
judge, who, in this uncalled-for manner, meddled in his affairs • 
and he felt a proud compassion for the poor girl who, under 
her domineering constraint, had been alienated from him; and 
yet a thought came over him, that Ilda might be right. If 
Gula .loved him, what should he do? How could he repel 
her from him, or how cherish a passion which carried evil 
with it ? Curious speculations agitated him. He thought of 
what Paul had related of the old Afraja and his treasures, 
but he jestingly laughed over it, and shuddered, a»s he suddenly 
heard, not far off, the voice of Helgestad, in conversation with 
the secretary. Marstrand stood under them, on the lower story; 
it was deep dusk, and he moved not, while they talked of the 
business of the day, the voyage, and the work which was to be 
done in Helgestad’s absence. 

“ Where is, then, our Dane?” asked Paul. “Is he sitting 
at Ilda’s side, and learning how to lay the packing-paper 
smoothly ?” 

Helgestad laughed. “ You are blindjndth jealousy, Paul — I 
thought you would become good friends, but I see it is not so.” 

“No?” said the secretary, jovially — “and why not? He 
pleased me from the outset; but when I first saw him, a 
voice whispered in my ear — ‘Beware, he will give you 
trouble/ ” 

“ You are a fool, Paul,” replied Helgestad, who appeared to 


A F R A J A . 


137 


be amused at bis minion’s anxiety. “John Marstrand is a 
man who pleases all the maidens — attractive, as he is, in figure, 
and with a smooth face, unharmed by the rude blasts of the 
Nordland winters. You need have no fear of him. I have 
felt him by the teeth, and all is right.” 

“ I wish,” replied the secretary, “ you had not acted for his . 
sake alone at Tromsoe. Had you not have persuaded my uncle 
to register the royal letter, we could sing another song with 
him now. Take care, Helgestad, that the bird does not break 
through the net, when you would draw it. He is a stubborn 
fellow, who knows how to make his way, and help himself, more 
easily than you imagine.” 

“ Nuh !” responded Helgestad, “ I do not exactly understand 
what you are aiming at, Paul. I give the Dane my hand, 
place him where he ought to be, and ask nothing of him 
but what is right.” 

The secretary smiled; and, clapping Helgestad on the 
shoulder, he exclaimed, in his arrogant manner ; “ I will 
make one remark, which I beg you to remember. No one 
should attempt to be too cunning; for it will happen to him 
as to king Olaf Trygeueson, the bow broke in his hand, and 
the arrow fell in the water. Conduct him to-morrow to Bals- 
fiord, let him put up his house, take possession of the tract of 
wood Hiere, and we will quickly deliver him a title.” 

They both left the building, and Marstrand heard no more. 
As he went back he found the honest Olaf at the door of the 
house, busy with his gun and hunting-bag, and Petersen driving 
his jokes with him, as he cleaned a gun, to which he ascribed 
some rare qualities, and which, externally, was a noble weapon. 
It had been bought, according to the secretary, of a celebrated 
German manufacturer, and had been tried in many a chase, 
where it had performed wonders. Marstrand now, for the first 
time, learned that both the young men had resolved to accom- 
pany him to Balsfiord ; and he secretly smiled at the shrewdness 
12 * 


138 


AFRAJA. 


of Helgestad, who would not leave both or either of them ai 
home with Ilda. 

Early in the morning they set out on their journey, with the 
good wishes of those who remained behind. For a long time 
Bjornarne’s powerful voice echoed after them, and Ilda’s white 
handkerchief was seen fluttering in the air, until the boat turned 
the promontory, and directed its course to the church of Lyngen. 
There, they found the two horses which Helgestad had sent over 
the previous evening, and the little caravan prepared for its 
march across the elevated fjeld. The horses were packed, and 
led by two guides; Helgestad, in his leather jacket, and a long, 
sharp-pointed staff, took the lead, and the } 7 oung men, with 
guns and hunting-sacks, brought up the rear. The morning 
was fresh, and the sky blue and clear. The summits of the 
Kilpis gleamed in the early sun-light, and from its sides nume- 
rous brooks burst out, and fell down the precipices in dusty 
foam, shaking the air with the thunder of their reverberation. 
The ascent of the fjeld was, by degrees, overcome. The 
peninsula which separates the two fiords is not high enough to 
retain the snow to the latest moment. Most of it was melted, 
forming in the middle a spacious lake, from which the brooks 
filled their channels; and on the edges, moss and grass had 
already shot up, forming a soft green carpet. Beyond this, the 
travellers labored up and down through an alternating succes- 
sion of swamp, water, hollows, and precipitous ravines, until 
they reached the high border of the Ulvsfiord, which expanded, 
far below them, into a beautiful mirror of water. 

It was a long and difficult way, yet it was prosecuted with a 
cheerful disposition. Paul Petersen kept up a continual good- 
humor, relating anecdotes, and trying his wit on Olaf, or making 
music with his flute, to stimulate the flagging limbs. The 
smaller the fiord, the wilder were its shores, which rose up in 
steep and jagged cliffs, intermingled with huge masses of rock, 
confusedly piled together. Here and there a little friendly spot 
opened between this chaos of rock, covered with tall trees and 


AFRAJA. 


139 


birch-bush. At one of the larger of these beautiful ravines or 
dells, the travellers made a short rest, and then resumed their 
journey; for Helgestad was anxious to reach Balsfiord before 
night-fall. Before them lay a steep mountain comb, which 
must be crossed, and whose heights were covered with deep 
snow-fields. 

“Be of good courage, Herr Marstrand,” said Paul, smiling; 
“ for on the other side of those white walls lies the paradise. 
When we are on the summit, you will feel like the children of 
Israel, when they descried the promised land.” 

“I hope,” replied the Bane, “that your paradise is, at least, 
more fit for habitation than this dark and gloomy fiord.” 

“Bah!” responded the secretary, “ that depends upon the 
feeling with which you regard it. If you ask the Lapps, they 
will tell you that there is nothing more beautiful than this little 
spot. There runs a story — perhaps the little witch Gula has 
already related it to you — according to which, this land was 
once a blooming garden, in which Jubinal, like Jupiter in 
Arcadia, passed his shepherd life. The evil spirits, children of 
night, and other rabble, acted like the giants of the Grecian 
fable. They sought to destroy JubinaFs kingdom, who indeed 
defeated them, but he could not prevent the desolation of his 
garden. Fire broke out of the earth, and the giants pitched 
up these rocks, under which the beauty of the spot lies buried. 
The god promised, however, to his favorites, the Lapps, that 
this fiord and the waste peninsula should be of service to them ; 
and a god, also, must keep his word. The Lapps, in the sum- 
mer season, come down hither from their wild mountains ; and 
the reindeer never fail to find abundance of excellent pasture. 
At the same time, the water of the fiord is so wonderfully tem- 
pered, that the horned milk cows prefer it for drinking: in 
short, it is a holy spot, which is held in high regard by the 
superstitious thieves.” 

“Are they never disturbed in their possession?” asked 
Marstrand. 


140 


A F II A J A . 


“They know that no honest man can liye there/' replied 
Paul, laughing; “and the fiord is, moreover, either too cold or 
too warm, or it smells too strongly of Jubinal's descendants; 
whatever may he the reason, the fish are wise enough not to 
venture there, and this is sufficient reason to keep off the fishor 
men ; for the Norman follows the fish, as the Lapp the rein 
deer. My grandfather is the only one who attempted to build 
a house at Balsfiord, and he paid for his presumption with his 
life." 

“ Was he killed ?" inquired Marstrand. 

“Slain by the cruel Jubinal and his spirits, or by unknown 
villains. Masses of rock rolled down upon his house, and buried 
it up. Since that time the fiord, for most people, has become 
an object of terror, and none have ventured to establish trading- 
posts there. I hope you have no fear, Herr Marstrand." 

“At least not from Jubinal and spirits," replied the Dane. 

“ Bight," said Paul ; “ we must know how to deal with such 
creatures. Afraja and his worthy companions will give you 
trouble enough." 

Thus conversing, they ascended the precipitous and snow- 
covered mountain, with painful effort; but, upon scaling the 
summit, a milder air was wafted in their faces from the Bals- 
fiord, whose clear expanse of water was visible between green 
shores, and the small, dark valley in which the shattered 
dwelling of the voigt had once stood. Monstrous rocks lay 
strewn around ; and a place, which was marked with ruins and 
rubbish, was pointed out as that where Petersen's grandfather 
had met such an unlucky end. Melancholy looking fir-trees 
overhung it with deep shade; tall bushes sprang luxuriantly 
out of the clefts ; deserted, wild, and voiceless, lay the forsaken 
spot, enclosed by splintered walls of rock on one side, and by 
the crooked arm of the sea, and dark, naked mountains, on the 
other. A shudder came over Marstrand, as well as his com- 
panions; for they all kept silence as they went along, as it 
they feared to disturb the dead, or to awaken evil spirits. 


AFR A J A. 


141 


“ Afraja is universally believed to be the author of all this 
desolation. His magic it was that hurled down the rocks in 
that night of terrors, and, although he was then a very young 
man, he was abhorred and feared as a sorcerer.” 

" Do you believe in witchcraft ?” asked Marstrand. 

“ Foolery !” answered Paul. “ If the old wretch could play 
the magician, we would all be lying there with my grandfather, 
who was silly enough to build beneath loose masses of rock, 
which, in a stormy night, or in an earthquake, rolled down upon 
his head. But what is that ? Is it not a man, who is sitting 
there under the firs on the highest stone ? Marius on the ruins 
of Carthage, or Afraja upon the triumphal monument of his 
vengeance ! My grandfather had him whipped and driven 
away, whenever he showed himself, and now he laughs at him, 
and takes his ease.” 

All looked, and they seemed to see a human figure on the 
ruins, in the obscurity of the old trees. Olaf’s sharp eyes 
recognised the cap and hair, but Helgestad prevented a nearer 
examination. He hurried on to reach, before night, the cottage 
which stood far on the end of the fiord, and reminded them of 
the difficulties they would be involved in, if overtaken by 
darkness.” 

“ It is, besides, an idle conjecture,” said he. 11 How should 
a man come there, and, least of all, a Lapp, whose people are 
now on the high Yauren with their herds ? Clear as may be 
your vision, you can see nothing but moss, stones, and dark fir 
branches. We have scarcely an hour left of day, and we must 
make good use of it in order to ascend the Strommenbuclit , and 
see the Balself and its shore rise before us.” So it happened ; 
and the last red sunbeam fell upon the Ipfty mountain-brow, as 
they perceived the foaming stream ; and at their feet a panorama 
expanded which was romantic enough in its contrasts to fascinate 
even these rough men. Deep down lay the Balsfiord, with its 
broad, open flood, and soft shores, which, beautifully covered 


/ 


142 


AFR A J A. 


with grass, stretched into meadows and slopes. Dazzling and 
foaming brooks plunged, in milk-white streams, from the clefts, 
and over projecting rocks, down upon the green sward; tall 
trees skirted the southern edge of the inlet, at the end of which 
the Balself noisily poured out of its valley; here, the eye 
roamed over many little dells and hollows; there, over an ex- 
tensive wood, through which were occasionally to be seen the 
stream and its falls, and, far in the east and north, the bound- 
less ranges of the Lapland Alps, with their beds of snow, 
stretched out and seemed to mingle in the distance with the 
clouds. 

“Null !” said Helgestad, when the first excitement was over, 
“here shall you dwell, Herr Marstrand; and I think it is a 
happy little spot for one who can appreciate it. Many a one has 
built here and there, but without discretion. They overlooked 
the best places, and had, also, no right of property, and several 
little spots lie untouched to this day, and no one has opened his 
eyes and taken the purse/ ’ 

“ As to trading-posts,” said Olaf, “ there is much better 
business to be done at several other places. You have there 
in the neighborhood the great Melangerfiord, where far supe- 
rior situations may be found.” 

Helgestad answered with a contemptuous grunt ; and while 
the company approached the cottage, which was roughly con- 
structed of broken stones and logs, for the wood-cutters, Olaf 
made the additional objection that the shore of the Balsfiord 
was the original pasture-ground of the Lapps, who would com- 
plain loudly against its being taken possession of. 

“As to that,”, replied the secretary, “there need be no ap- 
prehension. Herr Marstrand’s royal patent is unlimited. He 
can select land and establish trading-posts wherever he chooses 
— to be sure, without invading others’ rights. Nothing is taken 
from the Lapps, for they find everywhere subsistence for their 
herds. Wood and fertile land is as useless to roving tribes as 
fishing and brooding-places. If Herr Marstrand, to-morrow, 


AFR A J A. 


143 


says “ Here will I build my house ; the valley of Balself shall 
be mine, with the surrounding territory, as far as the water of 
the Elf runs,” no one can say aught against it. In two weeks 
he will have the deed of possession from the Voigt of 
Tromsde.” 

“ But Klaus Hornemann and the Governor of Trondheim V 9 
responded the stubborn Olaf ; “ what will they say V 9 

“It is a long way to Trondheim,” replied Paul. “For only 
five months in a year, at most, could orders reach us, and only 
once a year from Copenhagen. In this case, however, neither 
the governor nor the querulous parson do anything; for a royal 
patent, once recorded, can never be touched/ 

The cottage was built on the deep cove of the fiord, and near 
at hand lay a number of huge trunks, which, in part, were di- 
vested of their limbs, or hewn on the sides, and lay where they 
had been felled. A dozen or more of stalwart men came in, 
one after another, and welcomed the unexpected visitors with 
great joy. A boat, which lay alongside of the shore, was im- 
mediately fitted out with nets and angling-rods to catch fish ; 
and while preparations were being made for the lodging of the 
guests and horses, and the baskets were unpacked to provide a 
supper, Marstrand listened to the accounts of the workmen 
who, for several weeks, had been busy here. 

All were satisfied with the result. The fiord had abundantly 
supplied them with fish, no one had molested them, and they 
had seen neither Lapp nor Norman. Once only a bear had 
made his way, during the night, to the hut, but he fled back 
again to the forests of the Balself upon the first alarm. Of 
the mighty trees and overgrown thickets of these woods, many 
curious accounts were given, which pleased Helgestad much. 

“Nuh!” said he, “to-morrow you will see what God has 
here created, and I think you will be satisfied. Serve up now 
what you have ; let us eat and take some rest, for a tired body 
has no room for an active mind.” 

After a long and refreshing repast and many a hearty drink, 


144 


AFRAJA. 


a sleep followed wliicli was in conformity with the fatigues of 
the day. Marstrand was the only one of all who was in a 
wakeful mood, when a loud snorting of the horses, which were 
stabled in another division of the building, entirely awakened 
|him. The moon had risen in the sky, and its blue light 
shone through the door and the openings in the roof, 
and illuminated the plank partition, behind which were 
(the beasts. Whether it was deception or reality, the listener 
thought he recognised a face which, motionless and staringly, 
observed the sleepers through the chinks of the wall. Long 
hair overflowed the brow, and furrows and wrinkles gave this 
vision of the night a Medusa-like aspect. For some minutes 
it fixedly directed its gaze upon Marstrand, who, as if under a 
spell, felt incapable of moving. It seemed to him as if two 
eyes, glowing like those of a bird of prey, were fastened upon 
him. Before he could shake off his fears, the continued panic 
of the horses had awakened two other persons, who immedi- 
ately sprang up, under the conviction that a wolf or bear must 
be in the vicinity. Several seized their weapons and examined 
the premises, and others pacified the horses. After some time, 
as nothing could be discovered, quiet was restored, and Mar- 
strand fell asleep ) taking care not to reveal what he had seen, 
as he would have found but little credence in such a narration. 

In the morning/ the disturbance of the night formed the 
chief topic of the conversation at the breakfast-table. It was 
admitted, that in the woods on the Balself, many stout robbers 
had their hiding-places ; and although bears did not run about 
as plenty as hares, and many a one could live and die in a land 
where they were not rare without ever seeing one, yet the Bane 
heard frightful tales of the chase, and adventures which had had 
a calamitous issue. The grey-brown bear of the high north is 
one of the most formidable kind. Paul Petersen related how 
such a monster swims with ease over all the inlets and gulfs, 
and sometimes unexpectedly makes his appearance on the re- 
motest islands, killing the cows and horses, and exhibiting tha 


AFR A J A. 


145 


most incredible strength and courage. The fishermen and set- 
tlers, colonists and Quanes, have but few firearms in their 
houses. Entirely dissimilar from the chase-loving peasants of 
the south of Norway, who make their own guns, as their ances- 
tors forged their own swords, they know only the art of casting 
the net. The proprietors, only, keep arms; and among them 
are to be found young men, like Bjornarne and Olaf, who know 
how to use them well, particularly in -the chase of the wild rein- 
deer or birds of prey. In general, however, the proprietors 
remain with their account-books, in the shops, and with their 
yachts and business, and use their weapons only to shoot a gull 
or a snipe, or to frighten a bear from the neighborhood of the 
house. 

Marstrand perceived the great difference between these proud 
traders, with their dependants, and the despised Lapps, every 
one of whom possessed a firearm, and of whose sharp shooting 
he had so often heard such boasts. Wherein, therefore, lay the 
superiority of these fish-traders over that degraded shepherd 
race, which intrepidly contended with the most savage beasts and 
of the wildest nature ? Among the twenty men of pure blood 
here gathered together, he could find but few who were raised 
above the lower degrees of education and refinement. 

What were these wood-cutters, fishermen, and laborers, but 
needy wretches, who dragged out a painful life in the service 
of those who maintained and oppressed them ? and what were 
these rude aristocrats in comparison with the merchants of the 
capital and great cities? What was their pomp and arrogance 
in contrast with the splendid nobility and court of the king ? 
All was servitude ; yet one haughtily harassed the other, placed 
his fbot on his neck, and was, in turn, tormented and despised. 
A feeling of disgust came over Marstrand. He looked up to 
the blue, icy wastes of the mountains, and he felt as if there 
was to be found the only untrammelled freedom on earth. While 
the early dewy morning broke, and the sun enveloped the high 
snow-fields with its rosy light, and chased away from wood and 
13 


K 


146 


A r R A J A . 


valley the thick fog, the whole company of travellers proceeded 
to the shore of the fiord. The air was sharp and invigorating, 
the scenery rich in grandeur and beauty, and the waterfalls 
tumbled with the sound of thunder from the rocky ledges. 
From a deep, blue lake, the Balself plunged into the fiord, 
where huge fishes leapt into the air. Youth, and a love of free- 
dom, inspired Marstrand’s soul. He felt vigorous in body and 
light of heart. His gun in hand, before him the forest, no 
lord over him, and independent of time and dependant on no 
man’s will, he was immersed in a happy state of mind, which 
he, for the first time, experienced. Was, then, the life of those 
free shepherds so miserable ? Did it deserve the contempt of 
the people who sat in their damp, dreary houses, and tormented 
themselves to catch fish ? A Lapp, wandering with his herd 
from mountain to mountain, encamping by the springs, where 
his beasts reposed, which he guarded, gun in hand, when the 
stars were in the heavens, watching the midnight sun and 
the ptarmigan, and restlessly roving over the boundless waste — 
was he not a much more poetical sight than Helgestad, as he 
stood calculating before his oil-press, or sitting in his leather 
chair with a toddy-glass at his lips. The young man felt some- 
thing of the longing of these free-born men, who, at no price, 
would descend to their oppressors and revilers; and as they 
reached the sunny mountain wood, with its mossy carpet and 
its voiceless solitude, he was almost resolved to dwell there, and 
was enthusiastic at the thought that all this was to belong to 
him. 

The forest which covered the valley of the Balself was a 
primitive Norwegian wood, which had rarely been trodden by 
the foot of man, and had never been touched by the axe. 
There were here no gigantic magnolia or mahogany-trees, as in 
the forests of the tropics; no clinging plants of wonderful 
strength and beauty; no flowers with monstrous cups; and no 
fresh, variegated foliage. Mountain-firs, only, covered the sides 
of the valley, and the wide hollow between them, through 


A FllAJA. 


147 


which, in a deeply-furrowed channel, the wild mountain-stream 
madly plunged. Now it appeared to the eye as a cascade fall- 
ing over tremendous precipices, now, veiled in foam, it was 
forced into an abyss, from which a cloud of mist rose in eddy- 
ing whirl ; soon again it flashed with the beautiful blue of its 
glacier-water half pacified, in a broad bed, and then disappeared 
under the rocks to spring forth again, in a milk-white sheet of 
foam, from black, mysterious caverns. Marstrand had never 
seen a Norwegian mountain-stream in such glory as here ; and 
his senses were so thoroughly fascinated by the magic beauty of 
the spectacle that he could hardly tear himself away to follow 
his companions, whose thoughts were engaged on widely dif- 
ferent matters. 

The forest skirted the stream for miles, and wound its dark 
girdle around its swift-flowing waters. Thousands of years 
must have elapsed since trees grew here, from whose mould a 
soil was by degrees produced, which, washed by the rains and 
melted snows, could never form a deposit deep enough to cover 
the rocky ground on all sides. In some places, in the hollows 
and ravines, this, however, had perfectly taken place ; and here 
enormous firs uplifted their dark tops to the clouds and storms. 
Weaker companions leaned for support against these mightier 
ones. Thick rows of magnificent trunks formed lines and walls 
of the most desirable wood that could be found anywhere. In 
other spots, the need of grbwth and nourishment was greater. 
A net-work of roots clambered over mossy stones and blocks, 
from which slender trees, with difficulty, were produced ; in all 
the clefts and crevices they thrust their tenacious fingers, ran 
up the splintered sides of the rocks, and had even taken firm 
hold of the sharp cliffs in the middle of the boiling stream. 
The whole horror, and the innermost nature of this creation, 
its continually renewing power, and destruction, exhibited 
themselves under every form. Prostrated over one another, 
broken, split up, and weather worn, lay numberless trunks, 
as they had perished. Many had long resisted decay, 


148 


AFR A J A. 


and others had fallen in the spring of their existence. Hero 
they lay close together, and there was prostrated a giant, dis- 
membered. by a fall from the heights above. They coveied 
with their royal bodies the rocks upon which their crowns had 
been shivered; tottering and sighing in the wind, stood others 
with torn and separated roots, awaiting the shock which should 
put an end to their existence. Of many, which were once 
mighty and powerful trees, nothing now remained but a con- 
fused and corrupt mass; stretched out over them lay their 
children and grand-children, upon which the worm of destruc- 
tion had more recently gnawed. Here were wanting branches, 
there the bark, there the sap was yet fresh; here the entire 
hull had fallen off, whilst alongside of them, covering their 
misery, were green, juicy companions, which but yesterday sent 
out fresh branches, upon which a wandering bird had sought 
rest and peace, but, shrieking, flew off, as the spirits of the night, 
howling through the ravine, prostrated in death these life-loving 
brethren of the wilderness. 

It was no easy task for the travellers to continually clamber 
over these heaps of slippery trunks of trees, and the loose rocks 
and stones ; but Helgestad was difficult to tire, immersed, as he 
was, in speculations upon the advantages which could be derived 
from this wood. While Petersen and Marstrand plunged into 
the depths of the valley, and followed the Balself, he and Olaf 
went up to the high ground to obtain a freer point of view, 
whence the whole territory might be overlooked. The Nordland 
proprietor was no speculator, and cherished no favorable idea 
of a speculation in this woody tract. He considered the diffi- 
culties, as well as the considerable expense of felling trees here, 
and bringing them to the fiord, and came to the conclusion that 
it would be much cheaper to transport wood from the south, 
where there was a superabundance. Helgestad listened quietly, 
striking, from time to time, with his great stick, on the largest 
trees. 

“You cannot understand it,” he said, at length. “You 


A F 11 A J A . 


149 


belong to tliose who must see, before they will believe. You 
may rest assured, Olaf, that it would be the easiest thing in the 
world, to cut up the whole wood into planks and building mate- 
rials, and load the yachts with the same at Balsfiord, and send 
it to Holland.” 

Olaf looked at the speaker with surprise, and replied, with a 
shake of the head ) u It is possible that it may be done, but it 
requires a great deal of money and trouble. If the land be- 
longed to you, I would believe in it ) for you could venture 
upon it, for better or worse ; this Danish lord, however, will 
not think so lightly of such difficult speculations, and he will 
hardly find any one fool enough to lend him large sums for this 
purpose.” 

“ No other fool than I,” replied Ilelgestad, with a cunning 
nod. 

u How !” exclaimed the Nordlander, a you would indeed do 
it ? It may appear enticing, but I warn you. You have made 
more than enough money, and you are at that time of life now, 
when you should repose.” 

“Nuh!” replied Ilelgestad, “I thought, indeed, that you 
would have grasped at it with both hands, if you had been 
offered a share in the business. It will cost money, as you say, 
but the profit will be great. Look here, there are twenty suit- 
able places for saw-mills ; and the sawed wood may be floated 
over all the falls of the Balself to the fiord, where it can be 
fished up. All building timber must now be brought from 
Trondheim, and even from Bergen. You would, in future, like 
it better, and, at least, cheaper. I hope you understand it now. 
Is it not so ?” 

But it was not so. Olaf declared, with much firmness, that 
he would have nothing to do with this speculation. Ilelgestad 
now enlarged upon the fact, that no such trees were any more 
to be found in Finnmark, that the best ships could be built out 
of them ; and besides, that the little valleys, on the sides of 
the fiord, lay so sheltered, and were so full of fertile ground, 
13 * 


150 


AFRAJA. 


that colonists would everywhere establish themselves. Olaf* 
stubbornly shook his head, and underrated the whole enter- 
prise. 

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a wild cry 
from the ravine. In the next moment a shot followed, the 
report of which awoke all the echoes — then a howl of terror, 
and immediately afterwards another discharge. Smoke rose up 
between the trees, a man, in the greatest haste, flew over the 
rocks, shouting for help as he ran. All this happened almost 
simultaneously; yet Olaf, as well as Iielgestad, both understood 
its meaning. 

The Nordlander, with gun in hand, ran towards the fugitive, 
who was no other than the secretary, and when he reached him, 
he held him fast; for Paul Petersen appeared to have lost his 
senses from fright. His face was panic-struck, his hat had 
fallen off in the flight, his hair flew dishevelled from his head, 
and his eyes glared wildly around. 

“ Stand still l” cried Olaf. “ What was it ? Where is Mar- 
strand V ’ 

“ The bear !” screamed the secretary ; “ it has torn him to 
pieces !” 

“And you, cowardly man,” replied Olaf, “you ran away. 
Shame upon you !” 

With these words he sprang up the edge of the valley, to 
help or avenge his friend. Several times he shouted Marstrand’s 
name with all his might, and at last, to his great joy, he heard 
the responding voice of his friend. Where the stream made a 
deep bend, lay an almost entirely level ground, which was 
enclosed, as with walls, upon three sides, by broken, overhang- 
ing rocks. Thick birch-brush, wild vines, and young firs 
overran the clefts, and the open space was covered with young, 
sprouting grass, in the midst of which Olaf found Marstrand 
leaning upon his gun. With a glance he saw what had 
occurred. At Marstrand’s feet lay a powerful bear, in his last 
agony. Blood flowed over his tongue, and gushed out from the 


AFRAJA. 151 

mortal wound. The gallant Olaf rejoiced aloud, and shook 
Marstrand’s shoulder with reckless violence. 

u My true one ! The cowardly secretary might well run off, 
you had no need of him ; you have indeed found the right spot 
to plant a bear-shot. But, heavens ! it is one of the largest 
and stoutest beasts I have ever seen.” 

He measured the length of the body of the animal with 
renewed astonishment, amid encomiums on Marstrand, and 
shouts to Helgestad. The latter, at length, came up with Paul 
Petersen, who, with much composure, gave an apologetical 
description of the event. He had arrived, with Marstrand, 
at this plain, and was approaching, without any foreboding, the 
rock, as he suddenly heard a deep growl behind him. On 
looking around, he perceived the huge head of the bear pro- 
truding from the bush, and immediately afterwards he saw him 
stand up on his hind legs, as is the custom of that animal, 
when on the point of making an attack. 

“ I cried aloud,” said Paul, “ seized my gun, and fired. That 
my aim did not fail, the wound on the head and neck is a 
proof. But he was not killed. He uttered a fearful howl, 
while I left to seek help, and leaving it to Marstrand to com- 
plete his death.” 

“ That he, indeed, did do,” replied Olaf, jestingly; “ although 
you are a hero without an equal.” 

Helgestad prevented dispute and reproaches, and, while he 
assented to the statement of the secretary, he gave all praise to 
Marstrand. “ Body and life to stake upon a worthless crea- 
ture,” said he, “ which, in this season of the year, does not 
afford a good roast ; for it is lean and tough — no man can call 
reasonable. Nuh ! the Lord has turned all to good ; for it was 
designed that some one should slay the monster — John Mar- 
strand was, no doubt, the man whose cow will, for this, be able 
hereafter the more securely to pasture.” 

With this application, the affair was disposed of; and it 
remained only to return to the cottage on the fiord, and have 


152 


AFRAJA. 


the conquered foe dragged thither. The wood-cutters had no 
sooner heard the news, than they zealously set to work to secure 
the valuable spoil from the wolves and foxes. The bears’-meat 
was boiled for some hours in a great kettle, and Marstrand 
was obliged to recount, a dozen times over, the story, and as 
often to celebrate his victory with an interchange of hand- 
shakings, and salutatory bumpers. The cheerful repast lasted 
the whole evening; and it proved a real advantage to Marstrand, 
in rendering Paul Petersen more modest and subdued. Partly 
on account of his prolonged anxiety, and partly for fear of Olaf’s 
raillery, he found it most advisable to be as silent as possible, 
and not to mingle in the conversation ; Helgestad, in the mean- 
while, walked up and down before the cottage with Marstrand, 
pointing out to him the advantages of the settlement. 

“ You know,” said he, after the young settler had agreed 
with most of his assertions, “ that we can put the whole thing 
in order, through Paul Petersen, before any one can hear of it. 
The fools no longer believe that the Balsfiord does not produce 
fish, because Jubinal gave it to his people. See the green 
streaks there in the water — there are herring ; swarms of young 
seyfish are playing on the rocks, and salmon are leaping on all 
sides. The level island Strommen, on the sea close by Trom- 
soe, also belongs to the fiord, and it is too important to be 
omitted from your deed.” 

“Is the naked island, then, so important?” asked Marstrand. 

“Null !” exclaimed the old man, “it is the best piece of all. 
As you are a man who sees clearly, you must observe that all 
ships going to Tromsoe pass close by it. It is the best place 
for a ware-house. You have with it, also, the fishery in the 
Stromung, and the whole sound. It is a spot where the stones 
can be turned into silver by him who understands it : you could, 
from thence, carry on an immense trade in wood, on all sides, 
to Nordland and farther.” 

“ In earnest, however, Ilerr Helgestad, I have some serious 
scruples on this subject, which Olaf has confirmed.” 


AFR A J A. 


153 


u Because his thick head cannot think,” said the trader. 
“ You mean the money — make yourself easy on that subject. 
I have a good quantity of species waiting for you ; and, if it is 
not sufficient, I will increase it. Begin when you choose ; you 
may have ten thousand as soon as we return from Bergen.” 

“ On what security ?” asked Marstrand. 

“Your bond alone — nothing more,” replied Ilelgestad. “I 
trust in your brains. You shall have credit, at eight per cent., 
year out and in, until the stream flows back into your pocket.” 

“ Enticing as it may be,” replied Marstrand, hesitating, “ it 
is, however, not the money which troubles me. Has not the 
government promised to preserve to the Lapps their pastures, 
and do they not claim these fiords and peninsulas as their an- 
cient property ? The Governor-General, Munte, has solemnly 
given his word that no more wrongs shall be perpetrated upon 
this persecuted people; the Yoigt of Tromsoe has already, on 
one occasion, been held to account with considerable severity, 
and Klaus Hornemann ” 

Helgestad would not allow him to proceed farther. u I have 
a word to speak with you,” he said, lifting up his hard face, 
while he stood still between the rocks ; “ do not be in a hurry to 
answer; you can wait until to-morrow; but you must then 
decide. Should you know of a better place to build at than 
the Balsfiord, follow your own wishes. Take the workmen with 
you, and let what has happened remain as it is, and say no more 
about it. Would you be a man, who understands what is to be 
done, take firm hold of that which you would have. Tenderly 
to think, and weakly to resolve, you cannot. What do you 
care for the worthless rabble on the mountains, who perpetually 
wander to and fro, and to whom no spot on earth can belong ? 
Why trouble yourself about the old general who sits in Trond- 
heim and writes letters which are nothing more than pieces of 
paper ? What, also, have you to do with the parson ; who may 
bring women, not men, to tears, do what he may ? — Look there ! 
Herr Marstrand, you can have it all ; and no one can take it 


154 


AFRAJA. 


from you. If necessary, you can write to Copenhagen, or go 
thither, with gold, with which you can adjust everything. You 
may laugh in defiance at the outcry which may be raised over 
power and injustice. With your royal letter of possession in 
hand, let them raise their arms and voices; and were they 
angels’ voices, they could not avail them. Reflect upon this, 
and then say to me yea or nay ; more is unnecessary.” 

Marstrand remained behind, among the rocks, which, with 
their mossy and bramble-covered surfaces, in chaotic wildness, 
covered the shore of the fiord. The evening came on with 
heavy clouds, which, in dense masses, rolled, over the bay, ex- 
tinguished the last ray of daylight, and soared up to the cliffs. 
The water beat, with a heavy sound, against the steep rocks, 
and the young Dane stood musingly gazing upon its dark and 
agitated billows. With one hand, Helgestad offered him the 
means of winning riches ; and with the other, he thrust him 
from the door if he refused his money. The advantages which 
he had presented to him were real. He perfectly understood 
what this property was worth ; and yet a voice within admon- 
ished him that all right-thinking men would condemn him. 
Another voice chased away his distrust, and impelled hitn, at 
last, to exclaim, half aloud, “ He deceives me ! It cannot be 
otherwise. That is his purpose.” 

He suddenly heard a response to his remark : “ Rest assured, 
young man, that you speak the truth;” said some one, firmly 
and clearly, behind him ; and a few steps farther, he perceived 
a human figure, sitting on a stone, dimly obscured by the mist 
and darkness. 

For some minutes, both regarded each other in silence. 
Marstrand had no doubts as to who the venerable individual 
might be, who, fixedly leaning on a staff, appeared like a statue. 
The night-wind agitated his long hair, and he slowly repeated, 
with emphatic solemnity, these words. “Rest assured that you 
speak the truth ; for no one can boast of not having been de- 
ceived by Niels Helgestad.” 


A FRA J A. 


155 


“Afraja,” replied Marstrand, “I thank you for my life to- 
day. You it was who killed the bear. Your ball penetrated 
him, when I had only wounded the beast. I came here for the 
purpose of appropriating this land to myself; but I will not do 
it. I will not invade your rights, but I will protect you to the 
utmost of my ability. ” 

The old man made a gentle inclination, and waved his hand, 
as if to prevent the expression of thanks. “ As far as you may 
be able,” he said; “ but you have no power. Your heart is 
tender, as 1 have already experienced. You despise not the 
children of Jubinal. I knew that Helgestad would bring you 
to Balsfiord, and I determined to await you here. I was near 
you ' and defended your life when assailed by the bear, and I 
will be with you, and protect you against your enemies. Live 
here in peace, because it is a pleasant spot. If you did not 
take it, a worse person would ; for the thirst of gain is aroused 
among these hard-hearted men. The Yoigt of Tromsoe, his 
wicked, nephew, and Niels Helgestad, have already devised ano- 
ther plan, if you would seek to escape from them.” 

Afraja spoke composedly; and, to the surprise of Marstrand, 
expressed himself perfectly well in the Danish-Norwcgian 
tongue. 

“ What plan have they devised for me ?” he asked. 

“ Your royal patent,” replied the old man, “is too precious a 
property not to excite the avarice of Helgestad and his compa- 
nions. For many years he has known that the Balsfiord abounds 
in wood, fish, and fruitful valleys. He has taken you into his 
house, treated you well, and will help you farther, until the 
time has arrived to chase you naked away, and to take from you 
all that you call your own.” 

“ You hate him !” cried Marstrand. 

“ I hate him,” answered the Lapp, “ yet 1 see through his 
eyes into his wicked heart. He will give you his money, with 
which you will fell the wood ; yet you are inexperienced, will 
lose it, and fall into want. This is the time for which ho is 


156 


AFR A J A. 


waiting. Then you will find his hand firmly closed up. He 
will show you your indebtedness, and will expel you, with the 
help of the voigt, with whom he will divide the booty.” 

“ Is it indeed so ?” cried the young man, in agitation ; “ is 
this his way, to cunningly proffer his aid for my ruin ? It is 
possible, Afraja; indeed, I have already had suspicions of it; 
but Helgestad is esteemed as the first in the land.” 

“ Do you think,” asked the Lapp, “ he will be less esteemed 
after rendering you a beggar ? His fame will increase ; he will 
be more highly regarded ; his consideration will increase with 
his wealth; and no one will pity you. They will laugh at you; 
for, according to their view of right, you will have been justly 
treated.” 

“ Ha !” murmured Marstrand, as he clinched his fist and 
vehemently raised his arm, “ they shall not laugh !” 

He thought of Ilda, and it seemed as if the old sorcerer read 
his thoughts. “Do not dream that Helgestad's children could 
protect you. They would say to you, you had eyes and ears ; 
you heard many a word, and saw many a sign; wherefore were 
you not, then, a firm-footed man ? Bjornarne is a simpleton, 
and blindly obedient to his father. The maiden is of a better 
sort, but proud of disposition ; and will, agreeably to the inten- 
tion of her father, become the wife of the secretary, who at last 
will pocket what Helgestad has taken from you.” 

“ He shall take nothing from me ; by heavens, he shall not !” 
said Marstrand. “ I will have none of his help.” 

“Accept it;” whispered the Lapp. 

“ And his money ?” said Marstrand. “ It cannot be.” 

“ Let him, young man, give as much as he will.” 

“ How can you give me such advice,” asked Marstrand, in- 
dignantly, “ when you yourself show me to what he seeks to 
bring me ?” 

Afraja was silent for a moment. His form was barely visible 
among the dark rocks, and his hoarse laugh penetrated the 
Dane like that of a spectre, when, on wildly looking around 


APRAJA. 157 

him, ho heard Helgestad’s voice calling upon him from the 
distance. 

“ Take the money of the avaricious man/' whispered the 
Lapp, “ and make use of it without apprehension. What can 
he give which Afraja cannot surpass tenfold? Go to him, and 
say, 1 1 will dwell here, and will do as you recommend/ I see 
your angry countenance through the darkness. You must not 
be angry, young man. Afraja is your friend. Should you 
need silver thalers, you shall have them. The hour will come 
when I will conduct you — your eyes shall see what has never 
been seen by a man of your race. Deceive the deceiver, and 
be bold. My gods, which are more powerful than your un- 
righteous God, will help you.” 

“ Blaspheme not, old man ; blaspheme not !” cried Marstrand. 
“ Where are you ? Answer me.” 

He groped around, but the Lapp had disappeared. “When 
shall I see you again ?” he exclaimed, in a louder tone. He 
received no answer. A gust of wind plunged down from the 
high fjellan, shook the bushes, and resounded over the waters 
of the fiord. At the same moment, Helgestad’s iron-shod shoes 
clattered upon the stones. 

“ Holla !” he shouted ; “ where are you, Herr ? You are 
standing there, between cloud and darkness, and invoking the 
Nornes and Trolls to tell what is good. Is it not so?” 

“It is indeed so,” he answered, assentingly, to Helgestad’s 
jest. “ I have spoken with the spirits of the night, and heard 
their counsel.” 

“Null!” said the trader; “and what have they advised 
you ?” 

“ That I should live at Balsfiord, and that they will help me 
to fill my house to overflowing with silver.” 

“ Encouraging counsel !” exclaimed Helgestad; “and I hope 
they may make it true. Until, however, the good fairies load 
you with gold, take.it from me; and ilow shake hands. It is a 
14 


158 


APR A J A. 


settled affair. John Marstrand, of Balselfgaard, will soon he a 
man who will make a noise in the land.” 

The next day, the way to Lyngenfiord was travelled over 
without difficulty; and late in the evening the company arrived 
at Orenaes, where they were cordially received by Uda and 
Bjornarne. The relation of the various adventures whiled 
away the evening hours. Marstrand was commended again for 
his gallant onslaught on the bear, and Olaf did not fail to utter 
many a jest upon the flight of the secretary; which, however, 
no longer moved him. “ I think, my good Olaf,” said he, 
“ that the killing of a bear is no very remarkable feat of cou- 
rage, if one has a good gun in hand, and the animal is only ten 
paces distant from you. It would, on the contrary, be an un- 
pardonable folly, to suffer yourself to be torn in pieces if you 
had missed your shot and had not another weapon. Laugh at 
my cost this time, as much as you please; another time, we 
will balance the account ; but nothing will induce me to believe 
that I did not take the wisest course.” 

“ And no one will doubt,” said Marstrand, “that our friend 
Paul always acts wisely.” 

“ I am satisfied with my conduct,” said the secretary, as he 
fastened his grey eyes upon the speaker. “ He who knows how 
to act wisely always, will escape not only bears and wolves, but 
also the fangs of men, who, sometimes, are much worse.” 

Helgestad joined in the conversation, and diverted it to Mar- 
strand’s affair. He made known his resolution of settling; at 
Balsfiord, of occupying the little valleys with colonists and serv- 
ing-people, and of taking possession of the extensive territory, 
by virtue of the royal patent. The secretary was also solicited 
to have all the necessary formalities executed with all possible 
dispatch, agreeably to his promise. 

Paul Petersen gave the utmost assurances. “ I take all upon 
my shoulders,” said he, shaking Marstrand by the hand, “and 
I hope soon to show vou how precious your interests are in my 


AFRAJA. 


159 


eyes. You can travel without any concern ; and when you re 
turn from Bergen, the title will be made out so that none can 
question it. I will go, myself, to Tromsoe, as soon as Miss 
Ilda gives me permission. My uncle will be as ready to serve 
you as I am.” 


CHAPTER VII. 

The yacht was ready for a voyage to Bergen, all the stores 
were shipped, and the cargo well packed and stowed away. 
Helgestad had long conversations with his son, to whom he 
communicated directions for the management of matters during 
his absence, and, at last, in Marstrand’s presence, the family 
affairs were discussed between father and son. 

Helgestad spoke of Ilda’s impending marriage as a fixed fact. 
He jested about both the suitors, and advised Bjornarne not to 
meddle in the question, but to leave Ilda to her own free choice ; 
but it was evident enough, from his manner, that Olaf had but 
little chance. 

11 1 think I can pretty surely divine how it will terminate,” 
he said, with a cunning grin. “ Paul Petersen is not a man to 
run away from Olaf, as from the bear. I calculate, Herr Mar- 
strand, that children are curious creatures. When one has 
carefully raised and educated them, some one comes along, and 
carries them off, and him they follow over land and sea. I 
should prefer to have Ilda near me in Tromsoe, rather than far 
away in Nordland, where she will always be longing for the 
black rocks of Lyngenfiord.” 

He turned to Bjornarne, chucked him under the chin, and 
looked pleasingly at the stout youngster. “ Nuh !” he continued, 
u you arc to remain with me at home ; but there is no order 


160 


APRAJA. 


where men alone live ; so you must look to it, to make up the 
loss.” 

“ What do you mean, father?” answered the son, while his 
face was suffused with a blush. 

Helgestad laughed. “ You know better than I, and I imagine 
you will be glad to imitate your sister. Speak frankly, Bjor- 
narne ; have you never seen a maiden in Orenaes Gaard whom 
you might have, with her marriage chest ?” 

‘•'Not one,” replied Bjornarne. 

“You dunce !” cried the old man, pinching his car; “there 
is one whom I will select as my daughter-in-law. You will be 
pleased, Bjornarne. I know a maiden, fresh, young, and fine, 
sleek as a deer, and well made in all respects. I think you 
know whom I mean. Is it not so ? I will sing you another 
song on this subject when I return from Bergen.” 

Bjornarne turned quickly away, as if he would hear no more. 
Helgestad smiled, and said, “ He has too little of what others 
have in too great abundance. Many a young fellow who, with- 
out sense or reflection, springs upon the neck of a girl, should 
rather jump into the water, to cool his hot blood. Bjornarne 
is of those who could live with Eve in Paradise, without ever 
longing for the apple. I have never, Herr Marstrand, heard 
of his loving any one more than his sister, and have never ob- 
served that his eyes spoke more to one than to another. He is, 
in truth, what a son ought to be. He could have all of them ; 
I calculate there is no door in the land at which he might not 
knock. He is too discreet, the young fellow; he is Niels 
Helgestad’s son, and he knows it. Let the maidens sigh, and 
set their caps, until he brings home the right one, and all their 
faces shall turn as blue, from envy, as lobsters.” 

Marstrand was glad that Helgestad was called away; for his 
arrogant tone and manner offended him. “He will select a 
daughter-in-law as he has a son-in-law,” he said, as he strolled 
along the fiord. “ They will bring the greatest marriage-chests 


A F R A J A . 161 

into tiie house, and their brothers and cousins will he solid 
people, who stand firm on their legs.” 

He laughed contemptuously to himself, and continued his 
way : now thinking on Ilda, who was accompanied the whole 
day by the secretary, having scarcely a word to say to 
himself — and now of Afraja, whose enigmatic words had made 
such a lasting impression upon him. When he recalled what 
he had heard, from so many persons, of the wicked and perfi- 
dious character of the Lapps, he feared to trust the old sorcerer; 
W'hen he remembered how prompt was the aid of Afraja when 
in peril, his belief in the good-will of the old shepherd increased 
— when he compared him with Helgestad, he felt his distrust 
against the latter excited to such a degree, that all appeared 
possible which Afraja had declared of him. 

So much was certain, that he could not have had any 
selfish views. A feeling of gratitude to Marstrand, for his 
treatment of him when he fell into his hands, had probably 
influenced his conduct, as well as vindictive hatred against 
Helgestad, the secretary, and the voigt. He, therefore, was 
confirmed in the conviction that Afraja would surely help him, 
in case of an attempt on the part of Helgestad to ruin him ; 
if he did not, also, believe in the treasures of which the old 
Lapp had boasted, he, nevertheless, did not doubt, that in the 
boundless wastes enough silver might lie concealed to frustrate 
Ilelgestad’s base views. A man who possessed such great 
herds, and spent so little money, must yearly lay up large 
sums ; if it was true, that he discovered what his ancestors had 
so long in secret digged for, he must indeed have the command 
of vast riches. He found that the counsel of Afraja, to deceive 
the deceiver, to make use of him until he was unmasked, and 
to accept his help and his money, until he had no more need 
of either, perfectly just, wise, and adapted to the circumstances. 
And then, where was the proof that the cunning trader did not 
mean him well? Upon what good ground should he refuse 
such magnanimous sympathy and aid, which no other man 
14* L 


162 


AFRAJA. 


could afford him? and how could he venture, through mis- 
trust, to offend a man who had, thus far, only done him 
good ? 

He found himself in the happy position of being able to 
quietly await the course of events ; and his active spirit impelled 
him to utilize the proffered help with the utmost energy. Helge- 
stad was not wrong in recognising in this young man more ap- 
titude for a clear-seeing trader, than for a gentleman of the bed- 
chamber; as he mounted the steep rocks which lie at the end 
of the Lyngenfiord, he felt a longing after the fresh, green, and 
glorious woods of the Balself ; and dreamed himself deep in all 
the glories which should arise there, through his own industry, 
his creative talent, and Helgestad’s specie thalers. He saw the 
saw-mills already in motion, he heard the wood-cutters at work, 
he looked down into the little valleys, where dwelt his numerous 
colonists and liege people; and he pictured to his fancy his 
ware-houses, his yachts and boats sailing up and down the fiord, 
and his own stately gaard, under overhanging birch-trees, with 
a garden full of mignonettes, pinks, gilliflowers, and ripening 
corn-fields in the shelter of the blessed bay. His heart beat 
lively at the thought, that he would triumph over the cunning 
and power of his enemies. 

“ Am I not lucky ?” he exclaimed ; u gods and men are with 
me ! Helgestad throws his bags of silver in my lap, and Afraja 
promises me the support of Jubinal, in whose paradise I shall 
dwell. If the one abandon me, the other will bring me his 
manna and Gula. ,? 

He stood still, and looking up to the cliff, where Ilda’s seat 
was placed, he thought he perceived a figure seated upon the 
stone bench, behind the drooping branches of the dark fir-trees. 
Since the day that Gula had conducted him to that spot, his 
walks had never been extended so far. Then the ravine was 
filled with ice, and the summits and sides of the mountain were 
thickly veiled in their winter dress; but now only the high 
Tjellen, from whose midst emerged the jagged chain of the 


A. F II A J A . 


1G3 


Kilpis, wore their long, dazzling trains. The sun shone warm 
and friendly on the deep bays and promontories ; young grass 
and slender shoots sprouted in the bottoms and clefts of the 
rock ; and as Marstran^ strode over the steps, and reached the 
little plateau , he found it covered with a soft, velvet-like turf. 
His next glance fell upon the seat. He had not deceived him- 
self ; Gula sat there, and, for some time, he hesitated whether 
he should speak to her, or retire. She did not appear to have 
seen him as he climbed up the rock, or even to observe him 
now. With her head bowed down, she held her hands folded 
on her bosom. Her beautiful, dark tresses were lighted up by 
a chance sun-beam which stole through the thick branches of 
the firs. In the midst of the bright green of the little spot, in 
this profound solitude, upon the platform of rock which hung 
high above the smooth fiord, in which the blue of the sky and 
the fleecy clouds of spring were mirrored back, her presence 
produced a melancholy impression upon the Danish nobleman. 
All the compassion and sympathy which he had ever felt for the 
deserted maiden, revived in his heart. He drew a step nearer, 
and, stretching out his hand, he softly called her name ; at this 
sound, as if struck by an electric shock, she sprang up and 
looked wildly around her, made a movement as if she wished to 
flee, and then, as if exhausted and incapable of executing her 
purpose, her arms dropped by her side. In the next moment, 
however, the anxious expression of her countenance changed 
into joy. A happy smile played upon her lips, and she gazed 
upon her friend with a bright, sunny glance, which warmed 
the heart of Marstrand with the tenderest emotions, as he spoke. 

“ At last, dear Gula,” he said, “ I find you ; and at last I see 
you as friendly before me as ever.” 

At this salutation she cast down her eyes, and a blush of. 
confusion covered her face. “ Is it you, Herr — is it you ?” she 
lisped. 

“ And who should it be then, Gula?” he asked. “Did you 
expect another ?” 


164 


A F It A J A . 


She gave no response. Marstrand sat down alongside of 
her, while he took her hand, and continued to speak. “ Unex- 
pectedly I meet you ; hut I accept the happy accident, as a 
propitious sign for my long voyage. I have seen your father, 
Gula.” 

She nodded, as if she knew it. 

“And I have spoken with him,” he resumed. “He has 
promised to be my friend.” 

“And he will be so,” she said, looking up with greater 
confidence. 

“ I believe it,” he responded. “ Afraja has already proven 
it. He is satisfied with my intention to build my house at 
Balsfiord.” 

“ All that Afraja calls his own will he cheerfully share with 
you,” was her answer. “Do not think ill of him; he knows 
how good you are.” 

“And whence does he know of my great goodness?” 
smilingly asked the young settler. “ Have you confided it to 
him ? Was he here ? Have you told him that we made a bond 
of friendship, which you did not keep ?” 

Her eyes resumed their clear glow. Half-timidly, half-sadly 
and joyfully, she shook her head, and laughingly whispered ; 
“ They say I must not.” 

“Oh, poor little Gula!” exclaimed Marstrand, in his former 
confidential manner, “ they have taken away your ingenuous- 
ness, and cast a stone between us, which we must roll away, 
because it oppresses and annoys us. Seat yourself close to me, 
here ; do not draw back — lay your hand, as heretofore, in my 
hand, prattle and ask, and I will tell you how often I thought 
of you, when I looked upon the Kilpis in the morning light 
and the evening shade. Are we not both companions in 
sorrow, dear maiden ? How often have I said this to you ! 
Both among a strange people, who will force upon us their 
ideas of propriety, and of right and wrong. What care I for 
what they say? I love you, little Gula, in spite of all.” 


AFRAJA. 


1G5 


“ You love me !” she said, fixing her dark eyes upon him. 

“ And you me, also,” he continued. “Do we not understand 
each other enough to say this, and have we not promised mu- 
tual fidelity for all time to come ?” 

He continued so to speak, and to descant upon the future, 
when he should be established in his new house, where he alone 
would be master. He described how Gula would come to visit 
him, and how she would help him : her eyes, in happy oblivion, 
wandered over his face, and she snatched the words from his 
lips, and converted them into pictures and dreams, which she 
pursued with delight. Marstrand had folded his arms around 
her waist, but his thoughts flew far away. 

“ So, I think, dear Gula,” he at last exclaimed, “ we will 
sweeten labor. In my house, time shall pass cheerfully; I will 
not be as these traders. Your father shall be welcome with me 
whenever he comes; he is a man whose understanding I 
respect, and if you then” — At this moment something sug- 
gested itself of which he had not yet thought, and he left the 
sentence unfinished, looked below to the Gaard, and continued ; 
“ When Ilda leaves her father’s house, will you accompany her 
to Tromsoe ?” 

“ Never !” she promptly answered. 

“Paul Petersen is not your friend,” resumed Marstrand, 
smiling, “ and he is as little my friend. Will you remain with 
Helgestad, to manage his house ?” 

“ I will not remain,” she replied. 

“Would you return to the tent of your father?” 

“No, no !” she vehemently cried. “Bather far away, where 
no one knows me.” 

“ But where ?” said Marstrand, meditating. “ Yet give 
yourself no anxiety ; the time has not yet arrived, and when it 
does, your friend will be active in your behalf. Klaus Horne- 
mann will return, and I will speak with him.” 

“ Speak not with him,” she interrupted, “ I know what he 
will advise. ( At my father’s hearth is my place/ he said to 


106 


AFRAJA. 


me. He found it unreasonable that Helgestad should detain 
me, when my father reclaimed me ; and only a few days since, 
he wrote me a long letter, in which he insists that it is my duty 
to obey the will of my father. I believe that Afraja prevailed 
upon him to do it.” 

“ Who brought the letter ?” 

She hesitated a moment before answering. “ A man of my 
race, my cousin Mortuno.” 

“Hid Ilda know of it?” 

“ None knew or shall know it.” 

“ And you, Gula — what is your resolution ?” 

She ceased speaking, and dropped her head. 

“ When I observed you,” he continued, while he drew his 
arm closer around her, “ it seemed to me as if it should not 
happen. You appeared to resemble one of those beautiful 
moss-flowers, which can never flourish again above there, when 
they have once been transplanted to, and cultivated in, the val- 
ley; it appeared to me that Afraja had no more right to reclaim 
you, let the pious Klaus say what he may to the contrary.” 

“He says,” she replied, without lifting up her eyes, “that I 
am a torn-off branch, which cannot here find earth to take root. 
When Ilda, who has protected and educated me, goes away, I 
have no one left who loves me. Even the maid-servants and 
serving-people in Helgestad’s house would rise up against the 
Lapland straggler. As Paul Petersen ridicules, and Olaf des- 
pises me, so would they all do. There, above, however, on the 
mountains, where my father dwells and is honored, shall I, also, 
be esteemed ; there, with the outcast children of my people, 
can I do much good. I can teach them what I have learned; 
can bring their hearts to the fear and love of God ; I can con- 
sole and cheer them in their mortal darkness, and spread hap- 
piness and salvation around me.” 

“ So said the pastor ; that is his talk ;” replied Marstrand. 
“ He will make use of you for his plans as an instructress to 
your people ; and he seeks to persuade you that all who livo 


APRAJA. 


167 


here participate in these prejudices against the Lapps. But 
does not he himself love you, as well as Bjornarne, and many 
others ?” 

“You” she sadly replied, “are just and good, and do not 
know the hatred and malice which cowers in their souls. Oh ! 
you know not how, in secret, I have wept during long nights, 
since Ilda hade me to avoid you. Tell me if it is true that an 
abyss lies between us, deeper and broader than this fathomless 
fiord ? Tell me if it is true that your foot will drive me from 
you ? Tell me if I must fly before your voice as it calls me, 
because that voice once penetrated my heart like a poisoned 
arrow ?” 

She tremblingly clung to him with both hands, and anxiously 
scrutinized his features. 

“ Who, dear Gula, told you this ?” asked Marstrand, excited 
and disquieted. “ Never shall an abyss divide us; never will 
I do you harm.” 

“I know it, I know it;” she whispered, in deep meditation, 
to herself. “ I have thought over Ilda’s words ; I have learned 
to be humble. Yes, she is right ! I belong to those who must 
never forget that they are rejected outcasts; but, Herr, when 
your maid sits upon your threshold, will you chase her away from 
you ?” 

He laid his hand on her brow, and said, in a mild and re- 
proachful tone, “ Have you such thoughts of me ? Best as- 
sured, poor child, no one shall injure you; and if all forsake 
you, I will remain your friend and protector.” 

He held her in his arms, and looked in her smiling, reani- 
mated face. Her heart beat under his hands ; his fingers gently 
smoothed her rich, silk-like tresses, and his lips bent down to 
her lips. 

She suddenly started up with a scream, and stood upon her 
feet. Marstrand followed her eyes : above, on the peak of the 
the rock, he observed Bjornarne; who, unmoved, looked down 
upon them, and then disappeared. 


168 


A FRA J A. 


“ He is descending the steps,” said Gula, hastily. “Fare- 
well, Herr ; wherever you may go, God be with you !” Before 
he could prevent it, she ran to the farthest and steepest edge 
of the rock, clambered and leaped from stone to stone, and thus 
gained a shelf of the cliff, from which a precipitous path led 
down to the shore of the fiord. 

Marstrand looked anxiously after her, and was still standing 
here, as he heard Bjornarne’s footsteps, who, a moment after, 
came up to him. 

“Where is she?” he asked, looking around with a sinister 
aspect. 

“ There replied Marstrand, as he pointed to the flying 
form. 

“ And you,” resumed Bjornarne, with a menacing look, “what 
were you doing with her?” 

“You ask in such a tone, that I must decline to answer;” 
haughtily responded the Dane. 

“ Answer !” cried Bjornarne, doubling up his fists, while his 
eyes glowed with passion. “ I saw her in your arms. What 
did you say to her ? What lies did you tell her ? Shame upon 
you for what you have done !” 

“ You are out of your senses,” answered Marstrand. “ What 
entitles you to impeach my honor ?” 

“Is it compatible with your honor,” asked Bjornarne, “to 
ensnare a maiden who is under my father’s^ protection — under 
my protection, John Marstrand? Were you a king’s son, you 
should not lay your finger upon her ; or do you suppose, because 
her father is a Lapp, that you may attempt it ? Know that I 
will not rest until I have avenged myself on him who may have 
injured Gula.” 

“ I would enter into a compact with you for such a purpose ;” 
said Marstrand, as tranquilly as he could. 

Bjornarne surveyed him with a scrutinizing gaze. “ What 
will you, then ?” he exclaimed, after a pause. “ Will you per- 
suade me that you could so far forget yourself as to take Gula 


AFR A J A. 


169 


for your wife? You could not; for, in this strange land, you 
must have a wife who can promote your happiness; and you 
are too sensible not to know, that in the event of such a mar- 
riage, no one in all Finnmark would offer you his hand.” 

“ I know it as well as you ;” said Marstrand. 

Bjornarne was silent. His eyes sank slowly to the ground, 
and he said, in a subdued tone, “ Do you, John Marstrand, love 
Gula with all the might of a human soul ?” 

“ I love her as a friend — as a sister;” replied the Dane. 
“Believe me, Bjornarne, that my affection for this poor maiden 
springs from the purest and best motive.” 

Bjornarne shook his head. “ Then you do not understand 
what I mean. If you do not love her with a passion which 
renders you indifferent to the opinion of people, be it what it 
may, why did you draw her to your breast ? why did you put 
your arm -around her waist ? why did you kiss her lips ? and 
why did she drink in your looks ? that was not right ! And 
why — John, tell me that — why did she tolerate it all from you ? 
and I dare not touch her !” 

Marstrand was now certain of what he had formerly only 
imagined He seized the hand of his friend, and, with much 
feeling, said, “ You love her, Bjornarne ! Tear out this love 
by the roots !” 

“ Bid me to uplift the Kilpis on my shoulders and plunge it 
into the sea ! bid me to tear up these firs by the roots, which 
have intertwined themselves with the rocks !” answered Bjor- 
narne, violently. “ Speak not; I know all that you would say. 
My father would rather see me devoured by a shark, than allow 
me to marry Gula ; my nearest relatives would spit upon me ; 
my best friends spurn me, as one contaminated by the plague ; 
and the poorest wretch in the land would drive me from his 

door. You see, I know all ; and yet ” he laid his hand on 

his brow, and murmured something indistinctly to himself. 

They both remained silent, until Marstrand said, “Is Gula 
aware of your affection for her ?” 

15 


170 


AFRAJA. 


“ Ask her; maidens know much/' he replied; “yet no; she 
may not know it. For years I have lived with her in the same 
house, and I have seen her grow up ; no one was nearer to her 
than I. I went and came without care ; but now, I am en- 
tirely changed. She was a merry and trusting child; now, she 
trembles at my voice — not at your voice ; not at your arms ; not 
at Ilda; — but at me, who would follow her even into the wil- 
derness." 

“ Heaven preserve you from such thoughts !" exclaimed 
Marstrand, in alarm. “I see it clearly: Gula perceives the 
state of your mind, and seeks to save you." 

He drew Bjornarne down upon the seat, and, for a long time, 
endeavored to persuade him, at every cost, to shake off this 
foolish passion. By degrees, his reasons appeared to work con- 
viction; Bjornarne listened patiently; but, at length, he raised 
his head, and replied, with renewed earnestness. 

“All that you say is true," said he; “ but is she not good 
and beautiful ? and has she done anything but good to those 
who despise her ? She belongs to a bad race ; but my father, 
hard as he is, loves her. And do you not think, John, that 
there are some means by which he may be conciliated ?" 

“ I see, only, the necessity," replied Marstrand, “ of restoring 
Gula to her father, who has the best right to her." 

“Restore her to him!" cried Bjornarne, with excitement 
“ Shall she perish in misery ? She trembles at the idea of the 
gamme of her father, the miserable old sorcerer." 

“ How," said Marstrand, “ can you hold Afraja in such aver- 
sion, and yet think of a love-match with his daughter ?" 

“What has his daughter to do with him ?" answered Bjor- 
narne, roughly. “ She is a being of another kind than these 
filthy, disgusting animals. But Afraja is vain. He is old and 
rich ; he can dig silver out of his caverns, as much as twelve 
reindeer could hardly carry. Must I stay here at Lyngenfiord ? 
Is there no other place in the land ? Can I not go away to the 
south— to Denmark or Sweden ? cross over to Iceland, or to the 


AFRAJA. 


171 


Shetland Islands, if necessary ?” He looked keenly upon Mar- 
strand, as if to penetrate his thoughts. 

“ I fear, dear Bjornarne, that your plan would fail, for want 
of the consent of Gula.” 

H No !” he cried, in a distrustful and violent tone ; “ how do 
you know that? She will, and shall. I will compel her 
to it.” 

“ Compel her, Bjornarne ? use force with a woman !” said 
Marstrand. “ You ought to be ashamed of such ideas. Could 
I credit all that you say, I would not hesitate to appeal to your 
father. But this is not your plan ; it cannot be.” He looked 
at him with a penetrating gaze, and, in alow tone, said, “Does 
Paul know the state of your love ?” 

“ Paul knows nothing of it,” he replied ; “ he only said to 
me that you secretly sought Gula for the sake of her father’s 
silver.” 

“ And he has thus set your blood in motion, and dropped 
poison in your ear,” was Marstrand’s answer. “ Be yourself 
again, Bjornarne. Undeceive yourself; and, above all things, 
do not trust him who, in this evil affair, will serve you with ill- 
designing aid.” 

“ Will you not serve me ?” asked Bjornarne, looking at him. 

“ No ;” replied Marstrand. “ If I were to pursue what I 
deem best for you, I would reveal all to your father.” 

“ Betray me !” exclaimed Bjornarne, with a dark frown. 
“ Then would I this day abandon my father’s house, and for ever !” 

“You are ashamed of yourself,” replied Marstrand; “you 
fear a discovery. I implore you, Bjornarne, recover from your 
madness, or it will ruin you.” 

He spoke further of his father’s grief and anger, which would 
know no limits; and this time, Bjornarne heard him without 
interruption. He gradually appeared to admit that his friend 
was right. 

“ I see,” said he, more tranquilly, “ that you have taken my 
confession in too great earnest ; and I shrink back myself from 


172 


AFRAJA. 


the consequences of it, which you have so forcibly depicted. 
Gula’s conduct annoys and distresses me ; and, at times like 
these, I find it difficult to endure it. Why should I not say 
that I love her; and that, for her sake, I could dare the worst ? 
In the mean time, I have not done it, and I now see the fiHly 
of it” 

“ I am glad to hear you speak thus,” said Marstrand, half- 
credulously. “ If Gula is no more near you, and if your father 
keeps his word, of selecting for you a fair and proper maiden, 
all will result for the best.” 

“Bah !” said Bjornarne, with a sinister laugh, as he removed 
the hair from his brow, and, in a frank and good-natured tone, 
replied, “ I know at what my father is aiming, and I will wait. 
Only one request I have to make of you, John. What you 
have seen and heard is the result only of a violent passion, 
which had seized upon me, I know not how. It is now past, 
and will not return again. Gula is right in fleeing from me, 
and I commend her for it. I shall have time to reflect upon 
it; but promise me, however, not to communicate it to any- 
body.” Marstrand promised it, and Bjornarne arose. “You 
are going, to-morrow, to Bergen ; and in six weeks, at farthest, 
you will be able to return. When you come back, you will find 
great changes; and if you are then still of the opinion that 
Gula must leave us, I will myself induce my father to give his 
consent. Now let us return, and separate in reconciliation.” 

Marstrand deemed it best to agree to this proposition, and 
the two young men descended the rocks. Bjornarne spoke of 
the yacht, of the voyage, of friends in Bergen, and that the 
wind, in that season, generally blew from the south-east, ren- 
dering the passage always short and agreeable, until at last he 
came to a halt, and looked down upon the Gaard , in the vicinity 
of which they now were. Marstrand saw the cause. Upon the 
little area in front of the house, stood three strong-built, stag- 
like animals, with large forked antlers, which he immediately 
recognised as reindeer, although he had never seen any before 


AFKAJA. 


173 


They were browsing on the short grass, and upon their oroad 
backs lay pack-saddles; the bells upon their slender necks 
tinkled merrily. Upon the bench by the door sat Paul Peter- 
sen, and before him stood a man in a brown over-coat, with a 
broad belt around his body, and a high, pointed cap on his 
head, from which a number of long white and black feathers 
dangled in the wind. He was a Lapp, that was certain ; and 
upon Marstrand’ s inquiry, Bjornarne said; “I know him — he 
is called Mortuno, and he is the nephew and favorite of Afraja. 
What is the fellow doing here, with his beasts ? He is a dis- 
agreeable, puffed-up creature, who takes upon himself great 
airs. Come quickly ; we must see what is going on. He has 
not surely come here for nothing ; the old man has sent him to 
look after Gula.” 

He hurried forward, and, as Marstrand reached the place, 
the secretary hailed him with a loud laugh. u Here is some- 
thing novel for you,” Petersen cried to him ; u here you have 
a new demonstration of the distinguished qualities of our dear 
brethren, who occupy themselves with the care of the reindeer. 
I present to you the young Herr Mortuno, nephew of the wise 
chief of a kingdom whose limits no one has yet traced. He 
unites the artist, poet, singer, and guitar-player in his own 
worthy person, is a hunter like Nimrod, a lovely Adonis, who 
charms all hearts ; a young nobleman from the mountains, who 
conquers all his rivals by his grace and beauty.” 

The Lapp turned round to Marstrand, with a smile at the 
encomiums bestowed upon him. His face was purely national ; 
Mongolian-like, broad, and flat, with high cheek-bones, a low 
forehead, and small, turned-up nose ; but his eyes glowed with 
a fiery and searching expression. His whole figure indicated 
health, strength, and agility; and the evident care bestowed 
upon his toilet justified the ironical wit of the secretary. A 
girdle of green leather, ornamented with silver bells and various 
colored embroidery, braced up his stout frame. From it was 
suspended a pocket, composed of the feathers of many rare 
15 * 


174 


AFRAJA. 


birds, artistically twisted around in radiating lines, with inter- 
mingled colors ; his shoes, or homager, were of the finest hind, 
interwoven with green and red threads in elegant arabesque, 
which was repeated also upon his cap. Shining, blach, and 
luxuriantly rich hair fell down both sides of his head in curly 
lochs. His cap sat jauntily upon his head, and the nodding 
plume of eagle and cormorant feathers gave him quite a 
romantic aspect. 

The comparison which Marstrand involuntarily made of this 
stately young fellow with the figures of the bystanders, did not 
result to the disadvantage of Mortuno. The gigantic Olaf, in 
his buttoned jachet and huge boots, as little as Bjornarne, or 
Paul Petersen, in his frieze-lined coat, could stand a comparison 
with him ; and it was evident, also, that this scorned son of the 
wilderness had as little to fear from the mental qualities of his 
assailant. He answered, without embarrassment, in the Nor- 
wegian tongue, and repaid jest with jest, in a manner to 
elicit Marstrand’s applause. 

“ Mean what you may with your praise,” he said to Petersen, 
“ I will accept it as it is expressed. You call me a poet and 
singer, and you speak truly. Visit me in my gamme, and I 
will receive you with a song which will please you.” 

“ I invite you, worthy skalde, to Tromsoe, where you may 
one day gratify me with your poetical effusions, much better in 
a firm-set house, than in your airy tent.” 

“ You have unlearned to be skalde,” answered Mortuno, “in 
your houses and towns. In your fish-taking and liver-pressing, 
you have lost the science of song. Did you live, like us, on 
the mountains — did you chase the yellow wolf — did you follow 
your herds through the birch-woods, and lie down with them 
by the cool springs, you would, perhaps, have less money, but 
more joyous faces and glad songs.” 

“If you have so much enjoyment in your swamps,” inter- 
rupted Bjornarne, “why have you descended to us here?” 

“ Because I had a longing for you,” said the young Lapp, 


AFRAJA. 


175 


smiling; “and because I knew that old father Helgestad is glad 
to see me when I come/' he continued, as he observed the 
countenance of Bjornarne darken into a frown at the laughter 
of the others. 

It was not certain that the saucy and half-savage fellow 
undertook to ridicule the proud Norman ; but Olaf laid his 
sinewy hand upon Mortuno’s shoulder, shook him once or 
twice, and whirled him round like a top, to the great amuse- 
ment of the spectators. 

“ Let me see how you look/' he exclaimed. “ You are a 
jester, as I perceive. We had a Lapp in Bodoen, who was a 
watchman, and would fall into the drollest rage, when he was 
obliged to work. Now he is dead; I could put you in his 
place, and procure you a becoming coat, and a cap of otter- 
skin." 

With this, he,crushed the pointed, feathered cap so recklessly 
together, that it sank down over his eyes and nose, and could 
with difficulty be raised up again by the victim of the joke. 
This rough usage excited Marstrand ; but before he could give 
expression to his displeasure, the Lapp joined in the laugh 
which had been raised at his expense, and said, with some 
comical bows; “I thank you, Herr — I thank you for your 
kindness. I will watch for you late and early; and my eyes 
shall not grow weary in affording you all the service which the 
dwarf Bugo rendered to the giant Yulpus." 

“ What kind of a story is that ?" asked Olaf. 

“ A long and merry stofy, which I will tell you another time. 
Look, there come my friends with little casks of brandy and 
vinegar, and other good things." 1 

Two Lapps, at this moment, brought out of the shop of the 
trader all kinds of stores, in casks and baskets, which, under 
Mortuno's inspection and assistance, were fastened upon the 
pack-saddles of his reindeer. At the same time, Helgestad 
came out of the house, with Ilda and Afraja’s daughter. 

The trader spoke, in a friendly manner, to his acquaintance 


176 


AFRAJA. 


from the mountains, permitted him to shake his hand, made a 
couple of remarks on Mortuno’s gay costume, and allowed him 
to relate his news. The young Lapp informed him, that, with 
his herds, and more than a thousand reindeer, he had approached 
the coast from the interior of the country, because his beasts 
were troubled by the unusual heat of the season. Marstrand 
now learned that the reindeer exercised a tyrannical influence 
over his master; for, as soon as spring commences, the roving 
animal longs for the cool sea-coast, where it may escape the op- 
pressive heat, and the swarms of stinging flies ; and if its wishes 
are not followed, it runs thither itself. On the approach of 
winter, a longing for its icy mountains returns, and it will flee 
thither, should its master stay away too long. Mortuno reported 
that the snow was almost entirely melted, that the winter had 
been mild, that the birch-trees were putting forth young shoots, 
and that his herds gambolled, fat and merrily, upon the fresh 
grass. 

a And because your reindeer happily put on their new skin,” 
said Helgestad, “ have you yourself donned your new homagers 
and your holiday girdle.” 

u Right, my good old father !” exclaimed Mortuno, in a jovial 
tone. “ Why should not a man be glad, and adorn himself, when 
Nature puts on her best attire, and his beasts announce that a 
good year is in prospect for him.” 

(< You are a fellow with more brains in your flat skull than 
many that I know of. I have always said so,” replied Ilelge- 
stad. u You must know, Herr Marstrand, that Mortuno comes 
down from the mountains every year with his herds, and gives 
us a call now and then. He is a dashing fellow, who possesses 
his good qualities, and he flutters many a heart in the mountain 
tents when he goes out a visiting, and sets his cap on his right 
ear.” 

The Lapp appeared to be much flattered by this praise. His 
eyes expressed the liveliest pleasure — he laughed aloud, and 
gave repeated cause for further jests upon his vanity. 


AFRAJA. 


177 


“ What the deuce !” said Helgestad, “will you do with that 
pretty feather-pocket ? I will buy it of you, Mortuno. It is 
a rare piece of work that, and can be sold at the Lyngenfiord 
fair for four species .” 

“ I will not sell it,” said the young Lapp, as he detached the 
gaudy pocket from his belt. 

“You will not, dunce?” said the trader, in reply. “I will 
give you five, six hard, smooth thalers. It is such a thing as 
the Lapps alone can work. You will not ? Have you a sweet- 
heart around whose brown neck you would hang it ? Or, per- 
haps, you have brought it for Gula, out of old love and 
affection ?” 

Mortuno responded negatively to all these inquiries with the 
childish and wild laughter which makes the Lapps so contemp- 
tible in the eyes of the grave Normans. “When I want a 
maiden,” he vauntingly exclaimed, “I need no feather-pocket. 
Five, ten, twenty come at the sound of my voice. But Gula 
has no right to it. She may hang a fishing-net on her apron 
when she wants a pocket.” 

“ You will have nothing more to do with her, because she 
will hear no more of you,” cried Helgestad. “ You are right, 
my dear fellow; seek some one who rewards you better. You 
are a sensible man. Look here, six new species .” 

The desire for the acquisition of the pouch was excited in 
Helgestad ; and Marstrand afterwards learned, that this elegant 
feather-work, which was often carried to Trondheim, and even 
to London and Paris, was considered very valuable. In Nord- 
land and Finnmark, feather-pouches and collars were the highest 
ornament of the richest and most distinguished ladies ; the old 
avaricious speculator was, therefore, most agreeably surprised, 
as Mortuno, with more gallantry than was to be expected of 
him, presented the precious trifle to Ilda. 

“.Are you pleased with it, Miss?” he asked, as she turned it 
round and round, to let the light pass through it. 

“ It is very pretty,” said Hda. 

M 


178 


AFRAJA. 


“ It is a bridal-pouch, such as no one could so easily procure. 
Take it and wear it, Miss, is the request of the poor Mortuno.” 

Ilda would, perhaps, have refused it ; but Helgestad put an 
end to all scruple. He took possession of the gift, and ex- 
pressed his thanks by a hearty shake of the hand of the Lapp, 
and a promise to fill his flask, which, however, the latter 
disdainfully refused. 

“Very well,” smiled the trader, “we will make it up 
another time between us. Where is the old scoundrel, 
Afraja? Is he with your herd, or is he spying around 
here ?” 

“ I know nothing of him,” was Mortuno’ s answer. “ When 
I saw him last I was deep in the Yauren, in the Tana, where 
he was sitting in his tent with the good father Hornemann.” 

“ He found him out Y f cried Helgestad. “Nuh ! the parson 
will send a pretty report to Copenhagen this time. You will 
also be paraded in it, Herr Marstrand ; but I suppose you can 
bear it.” 

When Mortuno was ready with his reindeer, he gave him a 
parting volley of jests, which the Lapp took as good-naturedly 
as Olaf’s rudeness. 

The others pressed around the poor fellow, for all were eager 
to give vent to some cherished witticism. One surpassed the 
other in ill-natured jokes; and even to the fishermen, women, 
and children of the place, was the tormented Mortuno a subject 
of heartless raillery. Imperturbable as was his good-humor, 
Ilda at last begged her father to put an end to the malicious 
sport. 

“ Let him go 1” cried Helgestad. “ Mortuno, you are a 
jewel; you laugh at a joke. Come again, and bring with you 
another feather-pouch ; for which you shall have the same pay- 
ment.” 

“I thank you, father; I hope to give you much joy — but 
my cap is torn.” 


A r E A J A . 179 

“ Let your lovely bride stitch it up with Lappish thread — • 
reindeer-sinews ;” cried Petersen. 

“ And my feathers are ruined.” 

“ There flies an eagle ; get yourself some new ones ;” said 
Olaf. 

Mortuno seized his gun and looked above him. He took aim, 
and, in a moment, an eagle fell headforemost at his feet. It 
was a large fishing-eagle; and the ball had passed through 
his body. A feeling of surprise at such wonderful skill and 
sureness of aim produced a universal silence.” 

“ Had I not seen it, I would not have believed it,” said Olaf; 
“ although I knew that the rascals could shoot.” 

“You shall not be a watchman; but I will make you my 
huntsman !” exclaimed Petersen. 

Mortuno tore out some of the largest feathers of the eagle, 
and attached them to his cap. “Good Sorenskriver, I will be 
your huntsman, and will go to the chase with you. Until I 
can give you something better, take this.” Throwing the bird 
at the feet of the secretary, he bounded after his companions 
with a triumphant yell. 

Several of the people of the place ran after him ; and even 
if they had not been called back by Helgestad, they could not 
have reached him ; for he leaped over the rocks like a chamois, 
and in a few minutes he had crossed the ravine and ascended 
the opposite heights, where he stood, waving his cap in the air 
with a shout of derision. 

“Let the monkey run,” said Helgestad. “It is, jesting 
aside, a sad thing to see one of God’s creatures, endowed with 
a human form, so far beneath us as to excite only ridicule and 
contempt.” 

“ He is, nevertheless, a fellow whose nails must be cut in 
time. The malicious dog will certainly soon fall into my hands, 
when I will make him wash my bloody stockings.” 

The bleeding eagle had daubed the stockings of Petersen, 
at which there was no little wit perpetrated, until Helgestad 


180 


AFR A JA. 


called the whole company into the house to the parting meal ; 
for, with the earliest dawn, the ebb-tide would flow in, and with 
it the yacht was to sail. 

After a plentiful repast, and frequent toasts to a happy jour- 
ney and good business, song and dance were introduced. Old 
and young were on their legs ; and llda, amid universal applause, 
danced a Halling-dance with Paul Petersen, to the accompa- 
niment of a pair of yelling fifes. Marstrand was the only one 
who did not fully participate in the general joy. The day, in 
many respects, had been an eventful one for him. He made 
several fruitless efforts to speak yet once more to Gula; but Bjor- 
narne’s eyes were constantly fixed upon him, Petersen stuck 
close to him, or llda intercepted him. It seemed as if they all 
conspired to frustrate his purpose ; and at last Helgestad got 
hold of him, and edified him for the rest of the evening with 
his plans and speculations, good advice and cunning suggestions. 


CHAPTER VIII. 

At sunrise, the fair llda spread her huge sail to a favorable 
breeze, under which she soon made her way out to sea. 

We pass over the leave-taking, which was accompanied with 
many hand-pressings and good wishes. Helgestad himself stood 
at the helm; six active seamen executed his commands; and 
Marstrand, who, unoccupied, from the middle of the deck 
could exchange adieus with those left behind, remained there 
until the yacht made a turn, and Orenaes, with all its cherished 
objects, disappeared behind the rocks. 

He now had time enough to meditate upon the past events 
and the future. Helgestad reigned supreme the whole day over 
the great, heavily-laden ship, which, tossing off the foam from 


AFRA J A. 


181 


her hows, gaily dashed along before a stiff south-easter. The 
numberless passes of rock and broad water-basins which lay in 
their course required great skill on the part of the helmsman ; 
and Helgestad was unwilling to confide the safety of his pre- 
cious ship and cargo to any other hand. 

Such rapid progress was made, that by evening Tromsoe lay 
before them. The trader avoided touching there, however. 
With wind and tide he swept through the sound ; and by the 
expiring twilight he pointed out the island Strommen, a part 
of his proposed possessions, to his passenger. On the second 
day, the yacht lay under the red cliffs of the Ostvaagoen, close 
on to the fishing-grounds, which Marstrand, three months be- 
fore, had seen in the full uproar of an abundant fishing. Now 
all was deserted and empty of men ; but the rocks resounded 
with the cries of the sea-geese and auks, of the great gulls and 
countless divers, which, in immense swarms, covered the cliffs 
and waves. The boats were launched, and the fishing-scaffolds 
examined. With the satisfaction of a prophet who sees his 
predictions happily^fulfilled, Helgestad pointed to the numerous 
perches ; many of which were undisturbed, while others were 
empty, or exhibited only some few remains of the rows of fish 
with which they were once covered. 

u I told you truly,” he triumphantly exclaimed, “ that fisher- 
men are a reckless and negligent race. The more blessings the 
Lord casts into their laps, the less they know how to profit by 
them. Look there, what snow-blasts, storms, and worms have 
done ! More than half of the fishing is lost. The price will, 
consequently, be doubled in Bergen. And now look there,” he 
continued, as the boat steered to the point where his own rich 
booty and Marstrand’s purchased stock were preserved ; u not a 
tail is missing, and every head is on its proper shoulders. All 
is dry and sound. Luck is with you, Herr ! I should not be 
surprised,” and here Helgestad's mouth was distorted into -an 
exulting smile, u if you have complete success.” 

It is not our purpose to accompany the yacht in her voyage 

16 


182 


AFRAJA. 


through the rocky labyrinths of these mountain coasts. We 
satisfy ourselves with stating, that after twelve days, the fair 
Ilda had traversed more than two hundred miles; and that the 
good fortune of this quick voyage remained so true, that she 
sailed up the Bergenfiord in the finest weather ; and, notwith- 
standing the almost continuous rain of that place, the city of 
Bergen appeared before them in a glorious blaze of sunlight. 

Helgestad’s yacht was, however, by no means, the first Nord- 
lander which had arrived that year. Close on to the German 
bridge a number were anchored ; but she was the first craft from 
Finnmark ; and, as she reached the harbor, shout upon shout 
welcomed her arrival. 

Bergen was then, as now, the most frequented and the richest 
trading-town of Norway. It extends, in a crescent-shape, be- 
tween seven high mountain-peaks, around the spacious basin 
with which the fiord here terminates. In the middle ages, and 
during the Hanseatic league, it was the seat of a very extensive 
commerce. The German traders, who founded Bergen, had 
made it almost entirely a German town. Great German fleets 
often anchored here to sustain the power of their countrymen. 
The commerce with Hamburg and Lubeck drew thousands of 
traders thither every year to exchange merchandise and wares 
for fish and wood. Although Germany yet chiefly supplies 
Norway with foreign importations, at that period, the trade, to 
a much greater extent, lay in German hands. Although Ber- 
gen could no longer be called a conquest, and no German man- 
of-war visited its harbor, and the power of the proud Hansa was 
broken, and the Norwegians themselves had subdued the 
haughty German trading-lords into peaceful fellow-citizens, yet 
the larger part of the merchants were Germans, who owned the 
great warehouses, and monopolised the principal part of the 
business of the place. 

The long row of houses on the west side of the harbor, be- 
fore which lay the places for discharging cargoes, was called the 
German Bridge. Here anchored the Nordland fleet several 


AFRAJA. 


183 


times during the year, with codfish and salted fish, liver-oil, furs 
and feathers; here the numerous herring-boats unloaded in the 
midst of winter, when the rich fishery of Skudenaes was in 
activity; here, in small, dark, arched counting-houses, had a 
profitable and extensive business been carried on with the adja- 
cent and remoter countries of Europe. The whole sea-side of 
the harbor was surrounded by monstrous ware-houses, which 
were so built as to overhang the water, and enable the anchored 
vessels to take in their cargoes from the numerous stories. 
When the yachts had landed their contents, they came to anchor 
under the magazines ; where they took in the various assort- 
ment of articles which made up a cargo for Einnmark and 
Nordland. In the midst of the broad basin lay ships of all 
nations — Italians, French, Spaniards and Portuguese, together 
with many German craft, all of which were awaiting the arrival 
of the Nordland fleet, whose crew they hailed with far-echoing 
shouts. 

Marstrand, from the deck, surveyed with glad sensations, the 
valley, the city, the forest of masts, and the crowds of people. 
May had now introduced the spring in full maturity. There 
before him lay flowery gardens, and green meadows, and villas, 
under shady trees; beautiful plantings and fertile trees stretched 
from one mountain-shelf to another, up to the naked summits, 
from which the Bergenhaus and Friedrichsborg forts loomed 
up, with their dazzling white walls. Two cannon were 
fired from the harbor-battery ; flags of all colors waved from 
the trading-houses, and from the schooners, brigs, galeots, barks, 
and ships; to whose compact line the yacht steered to take her 
place by the bridge. Everywhere was activity ; the song of 
sailors at the windlasses and cranes, shouting and greeting from 
the boats, welcomes from old acquaintances, inquiries and ques- 
tions, laughter and wishings of good-luck. Marstrand found 
himself suddenly transferred from rocks and waves to the civi- 
lized world; and he stretched out his hands as towards an 


184 


AFR A J A. 


old friend upon whom he had unexpectedly fallen in the 
wilderness. 

Before, however, the Fair Ilda had fastened her cable to one 
of the great harbor-posts, her deck was thronged by a number 
of old and young men, who had rowed to her, or had got on 
board by jumping from yacht to yacht. They were brokers 
and traders in search of news ; they stormed Helgestad with 
questions touching the result of the fishery at the Lofodden ) 
and his answers, dubious as those of the Delphic oracle, were 
received with laughter and gravity, jests and imprecations. 

The Dane had looked on the tumult from a distance, until 
his attention was directed to a person who came on board only 
when the others had mostly withdrawn. He hastily stepped 
over the scattered ropes until he approached Helgestad, to 
whom he advanced with outstretched arms, and spoke in a 
tone of the fondest intimacy. 

He was a small, stout-bodied man, with a red face, heavy 
hanging cheeks, puffy lips, and round eyes. A brown frock 
coat, cut short, after the fashion of the time, black velvet 
breeches, reaching to the knee, an immense waistcoat, covering 
his round belly, and a white cravat, supporting his fat double- 
chin, gave evidence of a rich and notable person. A wig, with 
a richly-bound cue, powder upon his side-curls and his coat- 
collar, a little three-cornered hat, with a band of gold lace, and 
polished boots, in which his bandy legs were stuck, completed 
the picture of a well-to-do and reputable merchant of the last 
century. 

“ Oho, Niels Helgestad ! oho, my man ! how bravely you 
came in he cried out to the trader. u Thunder and light- 
ning ! you look as young and sleek as ever. A good cargo, 
Niels. I looked at the side of the yacht — she is ten inches 
over the white line in the water, and that makes a clear hun- 
dred and fifty centner more than last year ; I am in a terrible 
perspiration,” he continued, puffing and blowing. “I w'as 


AFRAJA. 


185 


sitting with the captains, Normans, and brokers, as I saw your 
sail. I am sorry that I have come so late.” 

“ The last shall be first, and the first last,” replied Helgestad, 
with a laugh, ‘‘and a hearty shake of the hand. “ Peace to your 
house, Uve Fandrem ! I bring a rich cargo ; and what is to 
come after this will not be worse.” 

A long conversation ensued between these business friends, 
which revolved over family affairs, and all kinds of news touch- 
ing trade and traffic. The liver-oil cargo came at a better season 
to be appreciated, than would have been the case a little later. 
The Bergen merchants desired to send the article immediately 
to Hamburg, before the prices should fall. Dried codfish and 
salted fish were certain of an extraordinary profit; for the news 
of the loss and ruin of the greater part of the catch had already 
got wind. 

“ Bring what you have as soon as possible into market, friend 
Niels,” said Herr Fandrem. “ For four successive years fish 
have been cheap, which has, of course, increased the consump- 
tion. Already many vessels have arrived from the Mediterra- 
nean, and yet more are expected. There will be a competition 
for the fish, such as has not been seen for a long time ; I hope 
we will get the prices up beyond all expectation. Heh ! you 
have no objections To that, Niels ?” 

The merchant had probably received a wink from Helgestad, 
for he suddenly came to a pause, and looked over his shoulder 
at Marstrand, who was standing near them, with no very friendly 
regard. 

“What kind of a jackanapes have you brought into the 
country, Niels ?” he asked, between his teeth. 

“He is a friend, Uve Fandrem,” answered Niels, aloud. 
“Look here, Herr Marstrand, there is a man who will help 
you.” 

He related, in his own brief and concise manner, Marstrand’ s 
condition and intentions, spoke of the trading-post at Balsfiord, 
praised the young settler, and a dozen times calculated that 
16 * 


18G 


AERAJA. 


John Marstrand would soon become a man before whom a 
hundred doors would fly open in Bergen, when he visited it. 

After this account, which Fandrem listened to with frequent 
nods of approbation, all the while regarding more the face of 
Helgestad than the Dane, he stretched out his hand, and 
touched the corner of his three-cornered hat. “ Before other 
hands are proffered to you, I offer mine. I have never had 
anything to do with young beginners in business ; but when 
Niels Helgestad speaks a recommendatory word, I say Amen ! 
and I shall be pleased to serve you to the utmost of my 
ability.” 

Marstrand felt that there was some security in this assurance, 
upon which he might rely, and Helgestad confirmed it with the 
remark, that Fandrem’s hand-pledge was worth more than the 
sworn friendship of kings and princes. 

There was no hotel at that time in Bergen, and it is doubtful 
if there be one now, although the town numbered already thirty 
thousand inhabitants. Every stranger who came there was 
obliged to depend upon the hospitality of some family : 
strangers, indeed, unconnected with business, did not visit 
Bergen in particular; for pleasure travellers were then un- 
known in Norway. The Nordland traders lodged with the 
brokers and merchants with whom they had intercourse in 
business, and the sea-captains remained on board their vessels. 
It happened, as a matter of course, that Uve Fandrem con- 
ducted them, as his guests, to his house on the German 
Bridge, where he gave them the guest-room, in the upper 
story. The dwelling of the merchant was one of those old 
houses which are yet occasionally to be met with there. The 
upper stories rested on huge beams, upon the massive sub- 
structure. Balconies and bow-windows increased its elegance, 
and produced quite an imposing effect. Deep and wide pas- 
sages penetrated the under space on both sides of the compting- 
room, which occupied the middle. In the first story resided 
the family of the merchant — in the second was the guest- 


AFRAJA. 


187 


chamber, all simply furnished, but with a fine prospect of the 
harbor, the ships, the movement, and the great ware-houses on 
the other side of the basin. This building, so limited in 
lodging-room, was only during the winter the residence of its 
proprietor; at the beginning of mild weather, every one who 
possibly could, withdrew to his country-house; Bergen was 
surrounded by summer villas of every variety, overlooking 
the fiord, the city, and built on the woody mountains, or in 
the lovely velvet green valleys. 

When Fandrem retired, and his guests were established in 
their new quarters, Ilelgestad communicated to his companion 
what he deemed it advisable for him to know. “ I have not 
yet,” said he, “ spoken to you of Uve, as I preferred to do it at 
the proper time and place. He is one of the first here in 
Bergen — is President of the Guilds, councillor, and, withal, a 
man who owes everything to himself — quick of eye, prompt in 
action, prudent and firm in all that he undertakes. Thirty 
years ago he had nothing. He began a small trade, at which 
he had no luck, until I made his acquaintance. We joined 
hands ; at that time, no Nordlander could escape the fangs of 
the blood-suckers. It was an infernal spectacle ; they wanted 
to hang me up alive, but it was of no avail. I gave them so 
much trouble that they, at last, left me alone ; and since that 
time we have firmly held together, and have prospered.” 

“Are you also a partner in FandrenTs business?” inquired 
Marstrand. 

“I have been,” replied Ilelgestad, with a knowing wink; 
“I calculate all partnerships are foolish; never right in all 
points, and particularly when one lives at Lyngenfiord, and the 
other at Floyfjeld. I cannot read through those thick account- 
books, and study the long reckonings ; it is not exactly to my 
liking to let another make the payments, and to take and give 
what he chooses.” 

Marstrand smiled. He thought that Herr Uve Fandrem 
understood accounts much better than Helgestad, with his 


188 


A P It A J A . 


close reckonings against the fishermen, Quanes, and Lapps, and 
that the crafty merchant had perceived his superiority over his 
patron. “I will not accuse anybody,” he continued, “and least 
of all, the honest Fandrem ; but I calculate that it is every 
man’s business to seat himself on a chair that has no hole in it. 
For a long time, I have preferred that Uve should buy my arti- 
cles, and that I should take from him only what I pleased ; 
beyond this, I have no further connection with him now.” 

Hereupon he informed Marstrand, farther, that the Guild 
President carried on a great business with Lubeck, Holland, 
and the Mediterranean, and that, besides the fish-trade, he was 
also engaged in exporting wood, and had bought up whole 
forests, which, after being cut and sawed up, were sent to Hol- 
land, to serve as fuel, and piles for the dykes. He had only 
two heirs for his wealth, a son, who, for several years, had been 
in a great Hamburg house, and a daughter, who lived with her 
father. He informed Marstrand, also, that he had procured his 
former partner, his wife, who was born in Finnmark, and of 
whom he, Helgestad, was the only living relative. Her fortune 
had not a little assisted to the development of Fandrem’s busi- 
ness, and this relationship also constituted another bond of 
friendship between the two men. 

After awhile, Fandrem returned, and conducted his guests 
to the family sitting-room, where the table was set out, and, 
after the custom of the country, the host drank to their 
welcome. More than once were the glasses emptied and 
refilled, over the discussion of matters of business. Helgestad 
asked credit for Marstrand, which the Bergen merchant imme- 
diately promised to give. Although the vessels of the Nord- 
landers, on their first voyage, usually carried back only provi- 
sions and stores for the fishery, and upon the second voyage, 
every possible kind of articles for the shops, yet Helgestad 
was resolved to deviate from this ancient custom, and to give 
up his yacht, in a great part, to the carriage of articles neces 
sary for the speedy establishment of the settlement at Balsfiord. 


AFR A J A. 


189 


He promised to prepare a list, and Fandrem gave his word to 
select the best, and to sell them at the lowest price. The whole 
affair was arranged with a shaking of hands; and scarcely more 
time was necessary to purchase the cargo of the Fair Ilda of 
Fandrem. The Guild President sent for a broker, for, through 
the medium of such persons was all business in Bergen trans- 
acted. The broker paid for a half-dozen purchases, which were 
effected that day, and this affair was also settled with another 
hand-shaking. 

“ And now, gentlemen,” said the merchant, as they arose, 
“ yet another glass, to our lasting friendship. I hope to see 
you twice a-year in Bergen, Herr Marstrand; and, as is the 
custom, the next time with a young wife. Ha !” he exclaimed, 
in a jovial tone, “how do you stand in this respect? There 
are in Nordland and Finnmark many pretty maidens ; I can 
sing a song on that head myself. But the handsomest maiden, 
far and wide, at Lyngenfiord, is my niece Ilda. Am I right, 
Herr Marstrand ? Let us drink to your prosperity.” 

Helgestad deemed it advisable to interrupt the conversation 
at this delicate point, by declaring that Ilda would shortly 
marry the nephew of his old friend Paulsen, in Tromsoe ; but 
that Marstrand could make the best match in the land, so soon 
as he was established at Balsfiord. There followed a long talk 
between the relatives, with abundant wishes of good luck, and 
questions and answers, which was at last terminated by Herr 
•Fandrem’s drawing out his thick gold watch, and holding it 
under the nose of Helgestad, with the remark, that there was 
no time to lose, to save his cabbage-soup and loin of veal from 
growing cold or burning up, in his garden, on the signal basin. 

“Forward, gentlemen!” he exclaimed; “my Hannah will 
show you a pair of pretty eyes. I have told her I should bring 
some guests with me, cousin Niels. I think you will hardly 
recognise her. A fine child, Herr Marstrand, well brought up ; 
she is perfect in her education. I had her a year in Hamburg, 
and before that in Copenhagen.” 


190 


AFRAJA. 


“You had better have left the tree where it grew up,” 
hummed Helgestad, with a squint at the speaker. 

Fandrem was silent for a moment, as if he were not averse 
to recognise the truth, for he said, with a smile, “ It may be, 
that maidens are best kept by the side of father and mother — 
you will see, however, Niels. She has become a proud girl, 
fine and sensible, and of strict propriety of deportment. She 
has also learned many things abroad which are rarely to be 
found here. She works, with gold thread and colored silk, with 
enamel and spangles, ihe most curious things, of which you can 
see many specimens in my house, such as birds and flowers, upon 
cushions and hangings, full of beauty and elegance.” 

In the meanwhile, they had arrived at the harbor, when an 
officer met them, who saluted the worthy merchant, and then 
remained standing; Marstrand looked at him with profound 
astonishment, and called him by his name. 

“ Heinrick Dahlen l” cried Marstrand. 

“ Is it possible that you are in Bergen,” said Dahlen, “and 
what a costume ! Xhe proudest cavalier of the court,” he con- 
tinued, “ in Nordland frieze jacket, and in company with the 
most avaricious and narrow-hearted old usurer of the German 
Bridge !” 

Herr Fandrem had, in the meantime, walked on with Helge- 
stad ; but the sight of the Danish officer had evidently disturbed 
his good-humor. He gave him a sullen look, and his brow 
darkened with a deep frown, as he observed the satisfaction that 
this unlooked-for meeting gave to Marstrand. Both young men 
followed, arm-in-arm, and mutually relating their respective 
adventures. Heinrick Dahlen commanded a company of 
Danish infantry, which lay in garrison in Bergen. He had 
served with Marstrand in the Guards at Copenhagen ; but was 
suddenly transferred to Norway, whither all were sent whom it 
was sought to get rid of. The young officer had complained of 
the ill-treatment of a superior in rank, whose influence had 
brought about his removal to Norway. He was sent deep into 


AFR A J A. 


191 


tlie interior of the country ; but General Munte soon called him 
to Trondheim, took him as his adjutant, and employed him on 
military duty. In a short time, he gained the good-will of that 
severely just man, who, finally, to rectify evil with good, gave 
him, last Autumn, the company in Bergen, with a promise to 
recall him to his own neighborhood as soon as it could he done. 

“ And the sooner the better,” said the captain, as he finished 
his story ; 11 1 am hoping for it every day. It is insupportable, 
this headquarters of herring and codfish, where no one has any 
sympathy for anything else than the round, salted merchan- 
dise ; I should have died from weariness and desperation, if 
not ” 

“ If the sweet voice of an angel had not kept you alive,” 
interrupted Marstrand, smiling. 

u You were born for a privy-counsellor ; but tell me how you 
have fallen into this wilderness.” 

Marstrand related his story, to w r hich Dahlen listened with 
an incredulous and bantering air. 

“ You, settled among Laplanders, reindeer, beauties of the 
polar circle, and ignoble fish-traders !” he exclaimed, with a 
roar of laughter. u You, a so-called trader at Balsfiord, come 
to Bergen to stock his shop ! Are you mad, Marstrand ; 
or will you become so ? Many a one has, indeed, procured one 
of these royal patents who knew how to make money, and has 
thereby bettered his finances.” 

Marstrand at first blushed at the laughter of the captain, but 
he soon resumed his tranquillity. u I thank you for all your 
propositions, but I cannot avail myself of any of them. Jest 
as much as you please, and I will remain the trader of Balsfiord. 
My destiny is irrevocably fixed. I have chosen it, and will sub- 
mit to it. I wear this blue coat with a lighter heart than I 
once did the embroidered uniform. I will be a free man ; will 
lead a hard, laborious life ; but I will also have my pleasures 
and my ease. You know nut wliat-a fascination .cli ngs t o those 
naked wastes; I feel it in my veins. Upon my word, Dahlen, 


192 


APItAJA. 


I would just as little think of living here in Bergen as of re- 
turning to the glittering halls of Christiansburg.” 

The captain looked at him amazed. “ I can imagine only 
one solution of this riddle,” he said : “ you are in love ! An 
especially lovely sea-nymph has stretched out her hand to you 
and turned your brain.” 

“No one has proffered her hand to me, that I know of,” 
replied Marstrand. 

“Then Satan has done it!” cried Dahlen; “for only love 
or the delusions of the devil could induce a man of your name 
and standing to condemn himself to such wretchedness.” 

“ My good friend,” replied Marstrand, with a smile, “ ask the 
men there what they call misery, and they will point to you and 
your profession. Your life, and your want of independence, 
appear to them intolerable. Misery is only that which we re- 
cognise as such. A man may be unhappy in the midst of wealth 
and surrounded by all the enjoyments which earth can afford. 
I am not miserable, for I have a future before me full of in- 
dustry and schemes. I say to myself that I must suffer every 
kind of privation ; but I can also work, gain a livelihood, and 
do good. My ambition, also, has a stimulus ; for in that coun- 
try I can be ' one of the first, which I could not be elsewhere. 
Smile not, Heinrick Dahlen. I will catch fish, and sail my 
yacht to Bergen ; but I hope that my fellow-countrymen will 
receive me with respect, that all upright people will give me 
their hands, and that all doors will be open to me : this is all 
that I need, not to be miserable.” 

The captain, who for some moments mused in silence, at last 
said, “ You are right ; every one should know what his happi- 
ness and misery is, and go his way, and not deviate from it. 
But there stand your honorable friends and patrons, on the top 
of the Signalberg, impatiently beckoning to you. The deuce 
take the dried-herring souls, who think of nothing hut their 
money-bags. Go on, Marstrand; I commend you for yourwis- 


A FRA J A. 


193 


dom ; but stick to the good path ; for old Fandrem has a snake 
in his paradise above there which may easily fascinate you.” 

“ I fear no Eve,” said Marstrand. 

“No?” said the officer, laughing, “so much the better. To- 
morrow I will make you a visit; let not our old friendship be 
impaired.” 

When Marstrand reached the height, he found the Gluild- 
master alone, Helgestad having gone on ahead. His apologies 
were received with a sullen shake of the head ; and Fandrem 
said, mistrustfully, “ I will give you a piece of good advice, 
Herr Marstrand. We have no respect in Bergen for soldiers, 
and such like useless people; but we hold in high esteem a man 
like you, who has thrown his braided coat in the corner and 
become an industrious citizen. The perfumed and bedizzened 
dandy no one likes to admit to his house ; and I least of all. It 
is no good sign for a respectable man,” said he, with a side- 
glance, “ to be seen promenading arm-in-arm with such fellows. 
A merchant has his reputation to take care of, as well as a mai- 
den. If you only exchange a friendly greeting with such a windy 
fellow, evil reflections are made upon it. Let a merchant show 
himself in such society, and his reputation — that is, his credit 
— is at once damaged. And now,” said he, lifting up his stick, 
“ may all the captains, by land and see, be hanged, who would 
prevent me from eating my soup warm ! There is my house, 
Herr Marstrand; and Hannah, G-od bless her ! has set out the 
table under the old walnut-tree, where we may enjoy our dinner 
in the shade.” 


17 


N 


194 


AFRA JA. 


CHAPTER IX. 

From the Signalbecken, a projection of one of the seven 
piles of rock which surround Bergen, the road descended to a 
lovely valley, which formed the property of Fandrem. The 
pretty villa, with balconies and wooden pillars, stood on the side 
of the mountain, which rose behind it. A grass-plot, orna- 
mented with beds of flowers and odoriferous plants, stretched 
out before it ; venerable old trees expanded their thick foliage 
over it, and full in view lay the fiord, the harbor, and city — a 
charmingly beautiful panorama. 

Helgestad was already seated at the table under the great 
walnut-tree, and Hannah stood before him. She went to meet 
her father, and began to scold him for his long delay. 

She was, as it seemed to Marstrand, no great beauty; but 
she was slender, and possessed the delicate hue of skin and the 
regular features for which the women of Bergen have always 
been celebrated. It appeared as if she made a powerful effort 
to suppress the fire of her large brown eyes, and a rather scorn- 
ful expression played around her mouth, which was not calcu- 
lated to please an observer. The dress of this young maiden 
was very pleasing. She wore a white and blue star-spangled gown 
of Netherland muslin, closely attached to her bodice, over! 
which was a spencer of the same material, with broad sleeves 
and trimming. Upon her lightly powdered and puffed hair sat 
a small lace cap, with a crown of silver stuff; and around her 
neck she wore a finely-worked collar, from beneath which a 
heavy gold chain fell down to her breast. 

The Guild President regarded his gaily-dressed daughter with 
pride; and she was, undoubtedly, the first lady of fashion in 


A F It A J A . 


195 


Bergen ; lie patiently tolerated her scolding, while he stroked her 
chin and pinched her neck. 

“ Softly, maiden ; softly !” he said ; “ I am hungry and tired 
enough. If any one is to be punished, it must be John Mar- 
strand, here ; who kept me standing and roasting above, at the 
Signal, while he was gossiping with the captain of the loungers 
and do-nothings, whom we must support here in Bergen.” 

A cold, scrutinising glance of the young lady, was directed 
to the stranger, followed by a rather insolent laugh, which in- 
creased the unfavorable prepossessions of Marstrand. 

“ What do you think of it ?” asked Fandrem, who desired 
an answer. 

“ I think, father,” she replied, “ that we could do better than 
to waste our time thus.” 

“ You are right, my jewel ! you are right,” said the Guild- 
President, with a laugh. “ There sits Helgestad, like a half- 
dead man. Bring in the soup, and wake him up with my 
welcome.” 

The soup was served up, and with it a smoking-hot piece of 
beef. Green peas, brought from Holland in boxes, a loin of 
veal, cooked in its own sauce, eels from Hamburg, and a stuffed 
turkey, which a French captain had brought the day before from 
Dieppe for Fandrem, constituted the chief dishes of the meal, 
the daintiness of which none esteemed less than Helgestad. 
He seemed to find a pleasure in playing the unsparing critic ; 
and, while he greedily helped himself to all good things, he 
made light of Fandrem’s sweet-toothed extravagance, and swore 
that a single dish of fresh seyfish or redfish, and a shoulder of 
reindeer, such as Ilda prepared, was worth more than all these 
foreign delicacies. 

Uda’s approaching marriage with the secretary was the next 
intelligence that Fandrem communicated to his daughter; but 
Miss Hannah listened in silence to all that was related by him 
of these interesting family affairs. Two or three occasional 
words, a nod of the head, or a smile, was, for the most part, 


196 


A F R A J A . 


her only response. Only once she ventured upon a more ex« 
tended remark, which was expressed in a disagreeably haughty 
and assuming tone ; for the residue of the time she sat immov- 
able, or played with her gold chain. 

“ Now, niece,” at length said Helgestad, with his accustomed 
grimace, “ you have become a fine lady among the Germans in 
Hamburg, you have acquired good manners, and know how 
great people conduct themselves.” 

“ There is nothing like a proper education !” cried Fandrem 
to Marstrand, as he raised his glass. 

“ It is a stout saying,” said Helgestad ; #T calculate, how- 
ever, that you have brought with you some things which do not 
suit our Norwegian land.” 

“ What means cousin Niels ?” she asked. 

“ I mean your painted skin,” said the rough man, with a 
laugh, the French bodice, there, the shining cap, and the flour 
on your head.” 

Hannah looked proud and offended. “ At Lyngenfiord, they 
do not know what the world appreciates/ she replied. 

“It may be, maiden,” was his answer, “that we are not as 
wrong in our judgment at Lyngenfiord as you suppose. I am 
thinking of your mother,” he continued, as he saw the blush 
upon her face; “she was a genuine Nordland woman; had 
head and feet in the right place, and, to her blessed end, she 
wore her plaited apron, as in her young years.” He stretched 
his coarse hand across the table to the angry maiden. “ Bah !” 
he exclaimed, “ you will permit a word from old Niels Helge- 
stad. You know what your mother’s wish and desire was, and 
I have already spoken of it to-day with your father. Give me 
your hand, Hannah ; you shall make the voyage with us and 
see how the Gaard von Orenaes is managed. Ilda will be re- 
joiced to meet you; you will make us all glad; and Bjornarne, 
on the second voyage, can bring you back : you can safely trust 
yourself to his care.” 

This request was so suddenly made, and was pressed with so 


AFRAJA. 


197 


much earnestness, that Hannah dared not refuse. She accepted 
the invitation, laid her hand in that of Helgestad, and calmly 
said, “ If my father approves of it, I will go with you.” 

“ It is an old agreement, Hannah,” said her father, embar- 
rassed at the declaration ; “ you know it.” She nodded. “ For 
some years, indeed, nothing has been said on the subject; but 
to-day Niels has spoken his word,” he continued. 

“ I hope it is a word which has pleased you ?” spoke Helge- 
stad. 

“ Old friendship and old truth,” replied the Guildmeister ; 
“ I have long looked for this word.” 

They both raised their glasses. “Herr Marstrand,” cried 
Helgestad, “you are a witness here, to speak for Bjornarne. 
Look here, maiden,” he continued, “ and you shall hear a friend 
speak who knows the state of Bjornarne’s heart.” 

But Hannah ran into the house, amid a roar of laughter. 

“You will not run away from us when we have you on 
board,” said Helgestad; “and you will yield to everything 
when Bjornarne puts the ring on your finger.” 

Marstrand had supposed that Helgestad was speculating for 
the daughter of his friend ; but he was, nevertheless, surprised at 
such a sudden declaration and agreement. While he was speak- 
ing with Dahlen, Niels must have broached the subject, and 
have met with a ready answer. Now he learned that, accord- 
ing to the old custom, a family conversation on this subject had 
been held years before. At that time, Hannah was just born ; 
but her mother, as a true Nordland woman, desired her child 
to live in the cherished home in the north which she had been 
obliged to give up. Fandrem, who owed Helgestad everything^ 
willingly joined in a promise to this effect; when, also, changes 
had taken place, and the family connection with the rich cousin 
was not so desirable as formerly, yet was the marriage an advan- 
tageous one, and the compact itself too sacred to be broken. 

After much had been said on the subject, the joviality was 
increased by the old Madeira, which the Guildmeister produced 
17 * 


198 


A F 11 A J A . 


from his choice wines. A tobacco-box of China porcelain was 
set upon the table, and Hannah brought in long Holland pipes, 
bound round with silver threads. At her father’s bidding, she 
was obliged to drain a glass to the prosperity of Bjornarne, and 
to light the pipes with a wax candle ; all of which was happily 
accomplished under Helgestad’ s encouraging sallies of wit. 

“ Such is the custom in Nordland and Finnmark, when a 
young woman wishes to do honor to her guests !” exclaimed 
Helgestad, as he embraced her. “You have three days left to 
show your pretty clothes, chains, and rings to the young gen- 
tlemen in Bergen; after which, Paul Petersen can admire them, 
who is a judge of such matters, and John Marstrand, also, who 
has seen the court ladies in Copenhagen.” 

“ I need no one to admire my ornaments,” she said, as she 
liberated herself from his grasp. 

“You like it enough, but would rather be admired yourself. 
You are a cunning vixen, maiden, but Bjornarne has eyes.” 

“If he has eyes,” she responded, “let him open them.” 

“ I calculate you will help him thereto,” he cried after her. 

“ I will do what I can,” she answered. 

“ Take care of yourself, Hannah,” said Fandrem, delighted. 
“ There is nothing better than a proper education, gentlemen'; 
and whatever you may say, Niels, it is an advantage for her to 
have been in Hamburg, where she has learned so many things.” 

Helgestad bit his lips, but his cousin’s equanimity was not 
disturbed. He had her embroidery brought from the house, 
related how fluently she spoke German, and that she could even 
play the spinnett. 

Helgestad heard all quietly, and confirmed the long eulogium 
of her attainments with some guttural expressions and his most 
cunning grins. 

“ She is a fine maiden,” he said, “and too good for Bergen; 
but a father cannot keep his daughter always by him, were she 
his greatest treasure. I have thought of this ; and so shall I do 
with Ilda, and receive Hannah in exchange for her.” 


AFRAJA. 


199 


u You will not lose by it,” said Fandrem. 

“ I hope to gain,” said Helgestad ; u and for that very rea- 
son, in order that no one may recede in the affair, I bind my- 
self to pay you thirty thousand smooth specie thalers, in case 
Bjornarne does not ask for your blessing; if you refuse him 
Hannah, or she him, then you must pay as much.” 

Marstrand was a witness of this curious bargain, which, begun 
in jest, had ended so earnestly. The Gruildmeister smiled in 
-the outset at the apprehensions of his relative that a father 
could not separate himself from his child ; he shook hands and 
accepted the forfeit-money. 

The evening had come on. The sun illuminated the moun- 
tain summits with a red glow of fire, and below them hung a 
bluish mist, which covered the city and harbor with a soft twi- 
light veil. Confused cries arose from below, and died away on 
the clear, still air. A more beautiful picture could hardly be 
imagined than this animated valley, spanned by a cloudless and 
deep-blue sky. The crescent moon hung over the edge of the 
highest fjeld, and far in the distance flashed the sea, with mov- 
ing ships and fluttering sails. 

Marstrand ascended to the top of the garden, whence the 
rocks sunk in a perpendicular line, and here, also, he again 
found Fandrem’ s daughter. She leaned over the railing, and 
threw a stone below, after which she gazed ; she rose up ill- 
humoredly as she heard Marstrand’ s steps so near at hand. 

He spoke some words in praise of Bergen, which she heard 
with indifference, and then turned to the observation of her 
Nordland jacket and the gold chain about her neck. After 
answering his inquiries for some time with a yea or nay, she 
left him standing and again leaned over the breastwork, until 
she at last turned round, and, without any salutation whatever, 
went to the house. 

“ There is nothing better than a good education and a know- 
ledge of the world !” exclaimed Marstrand, looking after her. 


200 


AFEAJA. 


“ Heaven protect poor Bjornarne from this fine maiden — this 
disagreeable composition of chintz and gold.” 

With these words, he returned to the two old gentlemen ; 
who, disputing and reckoning, yet sat at table; and the stars 
shone out in the sky before it pleased Fandrem to recommend 
his guest to sleep to begin the morrow with renewed strength. 

“ And where is Hannah ?” asked Helgestad, who seemed to 
keep himself on his legs with difficulty. 

“ Where a discreet maiden should be at this hour. She is 
lying under the coyer, and sighing over the godless father-in- 
law who cannot be satiated with the sweet poison.” 

“ And dreaming of Lyngenfiord, and of the happy day when 
Bjornarne shall press her to his heart !” cried Helgestad. 

“Be silent, you old sinner, lest she awakes and hears what 
you say. She would never forgive you for thinking that any 
man could press her to his heart.” 

“ And if all the others allow it, I calculate she will do the 
same ;” replied Helgestad, with a grin. 

“ I calculate that your brain is too hot, Niels,” replied Fan- 
drem, joining in the laughter; “but it is now time to get to 
bed. Give him your arm, Herr Marstrand, and conduct him 
in. There is nothing better than a good education and tem- 
perance !” 

Helgestad took up the candle, which was standing before him 
on the table, and held it before the red cheeks and blazing face 
of his relative. “ You are a specimen of temperance,” he said. 
“ Hold fast to temperance, Herr Marstrand, or it will break to 
pieces.” 

Fandrem had taken the other light and illuminated the yel- 
low, wrinkled features of the Nordlander. Thus they stood, 
facing each other, making faces and staring at one another, 
amid shouts of laughter and all kinds of provoking words, until 
Fandrem fell into the arms of his housekeeper, who put him 
to bed, and Helgestad, under Marstrand’ s aid, found his way to 
their sleeping-chamber. 


A F R A J A . 


201 


To all appearance, Helgestad was in a sadly drunken condi- 
tion, and his companion with difficulty helped him along. No 
sooner were they alone, than all signs of intoxication dis- 
appeared. 

“ I am as temperate as you, Herr Marstrand,” he said, extri- 
cating himself from his helping hands, “ but I preferred in this 
manner to get Fandrem to bed and preserve his reputation. It 
would be a great shame with him if his head went round and 
his guests did not do honor to the entertainment. I hate and 
despise drunkenness; but it is an heirloom of this people which 
centuries will not eradicate. Bergen is a temperate town, and 
Fandrem rarely drinks more than he can bear ; when you go to 
Trondheim you will see what feats thirsty throats can perform.” 

What he said was, indeed, only too true ; but it applied as 
well to Norway as to the other countries. In the best society 
of that period, drinking was the chief enjoyment, and intoxica- 
tion in no wise a shame. The marriage-feasts and christenings 
in Norway too often terminated in scenes of blood and murder; 
and Helgestad related how, for such occasions, the women sewed 
the winding-sheet at the same time- as the bridal-shirt for 
their young husbands; and no law had yet been sufficiently 
powerful to prevent these knife-fights, which had cost so many 
persons their lives. 

“ It is equally wicked and foolish for men to kill each other 
like brute beasts, and on the morrow to cry over their deeds like 
women.” 

“ Always better,” answered Marstrand, “ than never to repent 
of evil actions.” 

u False, Herr,” replied Helgestad. (i What a man does, he 
should think of beforehand; but what he has done, should 
never give him pain. I have a head and hands which cannot 
act without the consent of my reason. He raised himself up 
on his elbows in bed, and, looking at Marstrand, said, “ Before 
you go to your room, wait a moment. Tell me, how did Fan- 
drern’s daughter please you ?” 


202 


A F II A J A . 


“ I have had no opportunity of forming an opinion.” 

“ You are a Dane,” spoke Helgestad; “that is, a man who 
knows how to bend and cringe when it is prudent. I read in 
your countenance your real opinion. She is a proud, lazy 
maiden ; vain, and spoiled of disposition.” 

“ Then, Herr Helgestad, I cannot understand why you wish 
to introduce this doll into your house, to which she is so little 
suited.” 

“ Why is she not suited to it ?” 

“ Ask yourself if such a woman is a fit wife for the simple, 
good-natured Bjornarne. When you spoke of Lyngenfiord, she 
answered with a contemptuous sneer ; and your accounts of the 
life in Orenaes Guard were received with ridicule and laughter.” 

Helgestad nodded assentingly. “ You have a good eye ; it 
is exactly so. But Fandrem’s daughter is a bird with golden 
feathers, and he were a fool who would let her escape out of 
his hands. Fandrem is a weak father, wise as he may be in his 
counting-room on the German Bridge when dealing with Nord- 
landers and Spaniards. An owl has rested upon his roof and 
warned him to be watchful. I have heard something of this 
alarm, Herr. Do not question me about it. I see, only, that 
I addressed him at the right time as we walked to the Signal- 
becken. He fears scandal to his name and reputation, and is 
heartily glad to send Hannah to Lyngenfiord. They will there 
accustom her to habits of industry and order; I have no appre- 
hension but that she will be virtuous and obedient.” 

A grim smile distorted his mouth, and hate and scorn flashed 
from his eyes. 

“ And will solitude, grief, and home-sickness do more than 
her education ?” said Marstrand, compassionately. 

“ Bah !” answered Helgestad, “ let her grow pale and thin ; 
there is Finnmark blood in her veins which will assert its rights. 
If it should not turn out so — if Fandrem is weak enough to 
indulge her vain, spoiled temper, so let it be; but he shall pay 


AFR A J A. 


203 


me for the voyage and my trouble. You heard that half her 
fortune, as forfeit-money, would go to Bjornarne.” 

Marstrand now understood Helgestad’ s whole plan, the low 
shrewdness of which disgusted him. 

“But if the needle turns,” he exclaimed, “and pricks 
your own finger; if Bjornarne will not have her, whom 
he neither loves nor esteems, what then, Herr Helgestad ?” 

The trader fell back on the pillow, drew the night-cap over 
his ears, and hummed, turning over on the other side. “ All 
nonsense, Herr. Take the light and go to your chamber. 
Bjornarne will not have the maiden that his father presents to 
him — Uve Fandrem’s daughter, from Bergen? will not have 
her? The fish will sooner cease to swim in the Westfiord. 
Will not have her ? A pretty story, indeed ! I tell you Niels 
Helgestad wills it, and that is enough.” 

The merchant had slept away his intoxication by morning; 
he was gratified to hear Helgestad say that he had been in no 
better condition, that he had not passed such a night for years, 
and that he hoped not to see another such until Hannah and 
Bjornarne’ s marriage-day. 

The Guildmeister, to this remark, did not respond with the 
same cheerful countenance as the day before; and his eyes 
roved from the coffee-cup to the closed window of his daughter’s 
room, above ; but, after some reflection, he brought the affair 
again in order. 

“ Hannah shall go with you, hard as it is for me to part with 
her. It is good for her to go and see, for herself, where she is 
to live in future. May Bjornarne win her heart, that she may 
joyfully say , 1 Yes and both can come and receive my blessing. 
She will have her inheritance ; and, on her wedding-day, I will 
pay such a dowry as becomes Uve Fandrem.” 

“ You pay the thirty thousand, one way or the other,” replied 
Helgestad, giving him his hand. 

“ Let it be so,” said Fandrem. “It is, indeed, a large sum,” 
he continued ; “ I will, however, satisfy you, and render Hannah 


204 


A FRA J A. 


happy. If an obstacle should arise from your side, you are 
bound to me in a like manner.” 

“ You know Niels Ilelgestad,” was the answer. 

The treaty was further confirmed by the usual hand-shaking, 
and, during the breakfast, business alone was discussed. The 
yacht was that day to be entirely unladen, and she would, im- 
mediately afterwards, be ready to take in the new cargo. By 
the fourth day, Ilelgestad was to commence the voyage, and, 
until then, much was to be done. All Marstrand’s necessary 
stores were to be selected and packed up; the experienced 
trader, on casting an eye over the list, discovered that it would 
amount to the sum of eight thousand thalers. 

His fish on the scaffolds at Westfiord were allowed to Mar- 
strand in the account, and it was stipulated that they should be 
delivered to Fandrem on the next voyage. The merchant 
offered to immediately close the transaction, and proposed a 
certain price for the vaage of forty-eight pounds, consenting 
even to add a quarter thaler also ; flattering as was the offer, 
and many as were the arts employed to recommend it, and 
which Ilelgestad supported with his endorsement, Marstrand 
would not come to any determination on the subject. 

“With you,” said Fandrem to his cousin, “I could not 
make such a bargain, for evident reasons. Fish may be bought 
cheaper; for it is not as bad as reported. Your large stock 
would then bring me great loss ; besides this, I must pay in 
cash ; while, with this young man, who has won my good-will, 
I keep an account. He is also a beginner, to whom I cheer- 
fully make concessions ; you, on the contrary, have full chests, 
and will fill them to overflowing.” 

Helgestad put his finger on his nose, and calculated that 
wisdom flowed like honey from the lips of the honorable 
Fandrem. “It is possible,” said he, “that fish may be yet 
higher; and it is also probable that they may be lower. A 
great quantity has been taken on the whole Nordland coast up 
to Trondheim, and salted fish are prepared in great numbers 


A FR A J A. 


205 


Whoever can hold on may do so; but he who desires to be 
secure, must prefer the snipe in hand to the goose on the cliffs. 
It is a fine business for a beginning, Herr Marstrand, when one 
can, after a short time, button up his pocket with his money . 
trebled. Establish yourself first at Balsfiord, and then you may 
in future venture upon what you will ; now, the surest is the 
best for you.” 

“ Accept my thanks,” replied Marstrand, who was not 
uncertain as to what he should do. u I am young and inex- 
perienced, and have great gratification in the counsel and good- 
will of such men as you.” 

“ Shake hands upon it, then,” exclaimed Fandrem. 

“ With all my thanks,” replied Marstrand, modestly, u I do 
not wish to be the cause of loss to you ; and would rather take 
less, than injure a man whom I esteem so highly. For this 
reason, I will wait until my fish are lying at the German 
Bridge, and will then take the price which is fixed, between 
Nordlanders and merchants, by the commission. Should there 
be a loss, it will be mine; should there be a profit, I will enjoy 
it.” 

Fandrem looked at Helgestad, who, with an exj^ression of 
the greatest good-will, nodded to Marstrand, and said, 11 Every 
man must know what he is doing, and never lament the 
consequences. You know this is my motto, Herr Mar- 
strand.” 

“ Agreed,” said the Guildmeister. “ Every one after his 
own manner. It is no wonder that every man seeks his advan- 
tage where he can find it. I will pay you the price of the 
commission.” 

An hour after, they were on their way to the city. The 
clocks were striking seven, and the morning was charming. 
Birds sang in the trees, warm and sunny came on the day, but 
Hannah’s shutters opened not; and the little stumpy merchant 
drew out his huge watch three times, held it to his ear, regarded 
windows and house, turned round, stood still, and, at last, fob 
18 


206 


AFRAJA. 


lowed the two others, who were already at the signal-tower 
awaiting him. 

The labor of the harbor was in full activity. The Guild 
President gave the overseers, who awaited him before his 
house, their commands; and he then introduced ITelgestad 
into his counting-room, where the business accounts lay ready, 
and where also Marstrand’s contracts were signed, and the 
obligation entered into, to carry on trade and traffic exclusively 
with Uve Fandrem, in Bergen. 

The counting-room of the rich merchant was small and dark. 
One old book-keeper alone sat at an equally old writing-desk ; 
for, notwithstanding their large business, the merchants had 
not much writing to do. They had much more need of over- 
seers in their magazines, than of assistants in the counting- 
house. In a corner stood two ponderous account-books, behind 
a lattice-work which had probably not been dusted for half a 
century; and the narrow windows let into the vault just so 
much light as to bring into relief two nail-fastened Bussia 
leather-chairs, with high backs, and a clumsy old paying-table. 
The remaining space was taken up with chests and boxes, seal- 
skins, and well-stuffed feather-bales, and against the wall stood 
a tower-like pile of casks, which Marstrand, in his efforts to 
wind his way through this labyrinth, had nearly brought down 
upon his head. 

Fandrem called out to him, in warning. “ It is a fine 
house,” said he, “with a thousand nooks and corners, which a 
wise man can make more use of than a larger space. Every- 
thing has its place ; and there are nice dainties for good friends 
— anchovies of this year, syld of the right kind, honey from 
Herdermarken, and butter from Flensbur<r.” 

His laugh was explained by the information that these deli- 
cacies were destined for the crews of the Nordland vessels 
whose cargoes Herr Fandrem bought, and who, after the old 
custom, must be presented with something to eat. The best 
and freshest were, naturally, not selected for these spoiled 


AFRAJA. 


207 


stomachs, and thence came it that the odor of fat and meat 
formed a combination which was no attar of roses for the 
unconsecrated. 

“ All smells gold that brings money,” said Fandrem; “and 
when jestingly it is said of Bergen, ‘It is much better to smell 
than to see it/ we could only wish that this saying was never 
dishonored; for the farther they smell us, the more yachts lie 
in our harbor, and the higher will rise, at the German Bridge, 
the piles of dried cod-fish, herrings, and oil-casks, the odor of 
which is as grateful to us, as the smell of their burnt-offerings, 
rams, and bulls, to the ancient deities, and which were not, 
certainly, as odoriferous as amber and myrrh.” 

After this display of wit, Fandrem drew Marstrand to the 
writing-desk, where the contract was read through and signed. 
Thereupon Helgestad took the pen, and subscribed ' as security 
for the indebtedness of Marstrand for the articles received from 
Fandrem in the first year. 

“ How ?” asked the young man, astonished ; “am I to under- 
stand that another must go security for the credit which is offered 
me ?” 

“ Such is the custom in Bergen ; and I willingly do it* 
Without security, you could not easily find any one to supply 
your house with merchandise.” 

“ I should think,” replied Marstrand, “ that my property, if 
not my word and honor, would be sufficient security.” 

“ Nuh !” said Helgestad, unmoved, “ you talk again like a 
Danish nobleman, not like a considerate man, who looks at 
things as they are. Who knows the value of your Gaard at 
Balsfiord, when we have built it up ? Who knows if the Bah 
self will furnish a log or a plank ? Much means and skill are 
requisite for that purpose. Think of what Olaf said, that any 
one was a fool who would spend one shilling for such a pro- 
perty. I calculate that you have no friends in Bergen but me 
alone.” 

Marstrand was in a high degree displeased at the discovery, 


208 


AFRAJA. 


that also through this affair his dependence upon Helgestad was 
increased. He had, on the contrary, proposed to himself to 
follow his own designs ; he now saw, that only through Helge- 
stad’s security could the hard hand of the Bergen merchant be 
opened, and the various schemes founded upon his credit be 
accomplished. Helgestad’s reply clearly demonstrated how 
completely his welfare lay in his hands; and he thought he 
discovered, in the avaricious eyes of the old man, an expression 
of contempt for his helpless condition. The wild Balsfiord was 
nothing without the money of Helgestad. He appeared to be 
a fly between the fingers of this cunning speculator, who would 
let him flutter until he should see fit to crush him. This dis- 
trust overmastered him to such a degree, that he forgot all 
foresight. 

“ I cannot, in this case, accept your security,” he replied, in 
his irritation. “ My obligations are, moreover, so great, that I 
will not increase them.” 

“And why not, John Marstrand?” asked Helgestad. 

“ Because I hold it to be my duty, now I stand upon my own 
feet.” 

“I think so,” coolly responded the trader; “and it is wisely 
determined — but who will take my place ? Who knows you 
here?” 

This question embarrassed Marstrand. “ I know no one here 
but Captain Dahlen ; and he, as well as all other persons of 
quality of my acquaintance, would, if circumstances required 
it, pledge their word for me.” 

Fandrem, who had listened to the conversation, thus far, 
without interruption, bounded from his seat at the desk, and 
struck the huge account-book such a blow that the dust flew 
about on all sides. “Who will go your security?” he cried. 
“ The young swaggerer of the Bergenhaus ? Proudly enough 
the cockerel struts through the streets, gaping at the young 
girls, in his brushed-up feathers and lace. Do not jest, Herr 
Marstrand. I esteem you as a worthy young man ; but I would 


APR A J A. 209 

not lend a farthing or a doit to your friend, the gallant cap- 
tain/' 

“And why not, most excellent Herr Fandrem?" asked a 
clear voice from the back-ground, as the slender figure of 
Heinrick Dahlen was seen emerging from between the moun- 
tain of casks and chests. 

For a moment, the merchant was visibly disturbed at the 
unwished-for presence of the officer \ but he was not a man to 
lose his courage so easily. He placed himself behind his 
counting-table, whilst Dahlen victoriously pressed forwards, 
and reached the other side of this division line. “ I know not, 
Herr, what can induce you to visit my house and counting- 
room ; but as you have come, you can stay. I am always ready 
to repeat my words." 

“ I have sufficiently understood you, Herr Fandrem," replied 
the young man, with a contemptuous laugh ; “ and I can myself 
answer my question." 

u I calculate," said Helgestad, stretching liis iron face over 
the table, “ we are engaged in a transaction in which we had 
better not be disturbed." 

“ Exactly so," answered Fandrem. 

“I calculate," replied Dahlen, imitating the manner of the 
trader of Lyngenfiord, and putting his finger on his nose, “ that 
I should vacate this pleasant abode ?" 

“ Yes, Herr officer ; yes, if you please," exclaimed Fandrem, 
peevishly. “ I do not think your visit concerns me." 

“ No, Herr Fandrem," responded the captain, with a polite 
bow, “ I desired only to hunt up this bewildered and forlorn 
man, who calls himself John Marstrand, and whose presence 
excites my especial sympathy." 

“ I think Herr Marstrand would rather not be disturbed in 
his business," said Helgestad. 

“ I imagine Herr Marstrand has no need of a spokesman, 
when he is on the spot himself," was the answer : with a 
haughty glance at the darkened countenance of the Nordlander, 
18* o 


210 


AFRAJA. 


Dahlen laid his hand upon the arm of his friend, and turning 
to him, continued; “If you are busy, hear a few words 
General Munte recalls me to Trondheim. To-morrow I must 
leave Bergen, and, as I could hardly expect to see you again 
to-day, I bid you farewell, unless you prefer to accompany 
me.” 

“ You know that I neither can nor will do that,” was the 
decisive reply. 

“ Then God be with you !” said the captain. “ May he pro- 
tect you from all hypocrites and sharpers ; preserve you from 
loss and shame, and drive all the fish of the sea into your net. 
Herr Fandrem, I am ready to leave your house, never to re- 
enter it, without your wish.” 

“You can hardly expect me to make so presumptuous a 
wish,” said Fandrem. 

“ Who knows ?” cried the arrogant young officer. “ I am, on 
the contrary, of the opinion that you will one day take me by 
this right hand, and ask me to increase the honor of your 
house.” 

He extended his right hand to the merchant, who angrily 
drew back, and, with a scornful inclination, replied, “ It is a 
sad thing for Bergen to lose so valiant a soldier, who could, 
more easily even than Thor, have vanquished the giants and 
their king. But my house is more difficult to conquer than 
Yolena, and my feelings are of such a kind, that I would rather 
the seven Tjellen of Bergen should overwhelm me and mine, 
than I should live to see the day when you should be welcomed 
here by this, my right hand.” 

“Nevertheless, it will happen, Herr Fandrem; it must come 
to pass — but we will not dispute about this matter. I must be 
gone.” 

Fandrem wiped the perspiration from his brow ; he trembled 
from anger, and his fists were clinched together, but he made 
no reply. 

“ Since when is it the custom in this country,” asked Helge- 


APRAJA. 211 

stad, “ for a man to suffer himself to he insulted, in his own 
house, by one whom he will not tolerate ?” 

“ Good friend,” said the captain, who was on the point of 
going, “wait till you are asked, and do not meddle in my 
affairs.” 

“ Nuh !” grumbled Helgestad, “ go your ways, young gentle- 
man ; only do not come in my track.” 

“ As I am no codfish, herring, nor haddock,” exclaimed the 
young officer, “ and also no unfortunate Lapp, and have not the 
means of making your nearer acquaintance by a royal patent, 
I hope always to be preserved from that honor ! Peace in your 
house, Herr Fandrem — remember me kindly; and you, Mar- 
strand, keep your eyes open until we meet again.” 

As he pressed his friend’s hand, the latter felt a small note 
within it. Hahlen immediately beat a retreat, pitilessly kicked 
aside whatever stood in his way, and disappeared with a curse 
at the foul odor, and with a roar of laughter at the sight of the 
tumbling and rolling casks and barrels, precipitated from their 
artistically-constructed position against the wall. 

“Look at him,” said Helgestad, contemptuously; “these are 
the men who think themselves superior to us in name, position, 
and honor. Nuh ! let him run. I wish never to face him 
again ; it might have ended otherwise to-day. There lies the 
paper, Herr Marstrand, and here am I. Shall I go security, or 
do you intend to dispense with my aid in future ?” 

The tone was so decided, and so menacingly earnest, as to 
leave no doubt that Helgestad had taken his resolution. He 
knew well enough that his protege was a considerate person, and 
could not do otherwise than abandon his opposition. After some 
discussion, it was settled that Niels should sign as security; 
Fandrem and he again both assured Marstrand that it was right 
and customary, but that it was in truth a mere form, as no one 
doubted the ability of Marstrand to discharge his debts within 
a year, and then he could obtain abundant credit, without 
security. 


212 


A F II A J A . 


The whole day was passed in the great magazine of the 
Bergen merchant, in examining and selecting the goods with 
which the Fair Ilda was to be laden. Helgestad himself bought 
a quantity of lines and angling-rods, scrutinised and proved 
what was assigned to Marstrand, and gave him some useful 
instruction touching the character and qualities of goods. The 
weighing, packing, binding-up, and making entries, occupied 
several hours, and left the young settler no time to think over 
the late events. His friend’s strange behaviour in Fandrem’s 
house, and his bitter and scornful remarks had amused him 
some; but it seemed as if he had some secret aim. The billet 
which Dahlen thrust between his fingers, contained a couple of 
lines, which yet more' aroused his curiosity. u I must see you 
again to-day,” it ran, “ to inform you of various matters which 
concern us both. When the two old fellows have completed 
your cargo, come into the garden, where you will find me.” 

In Fandrem’s house, and by night, Dahlen thus sought an 
interview with him — what could he have to reveal to him ? 
Marstrand turned the matter over in his mind, without being 
able to come to any conclusion. The noise of the workmen, 
the uproar in the harbor, the tumultuous activity of so many 
men, and the continual vicinity of Helgestad, combined to 
stimulate Marstrand to his new duties in the magazine. His 
assiduity, and skilful manner of working elicited much applause 
from Helgestad. Fandrem, at last, came to call off his guests, 
and take them with him. They took the same road to the 
pretty villa, found the table set, and Hannah waiting, attired in 
a yet finer dress, but as silent and motionless as the preceding 
day. Fandrem tried some kindly words, but these had as little 
effect as Helgestad’s jokes. The maiden manifested not the 
slightest sympathy, and answered only what she was obliged to, 
but in such a repulsive and distant manner, that her father 
could hardly repress his anger. 

Trade was the chief subject of conversation ; the bottle went 
merrily around — Fandrem had recovered his good-humor, and 


A FRA J A. 


213 


said many flattering things to his young friend. u A man like 
you will soon rise. Labor sweetens life.” 

“I will do my best,” answered John; “I will be industrious 
— and I believe I have some talent for business, and know how 
to help myself, where others, without experience, would fail.” 

“ Good !” exclaimed the Guildmeister, “ self-confidence is 
necessary to success in business.” 

“ Every one must have self-confidence, if he would not be 
ruined, in difficult situations.” 

“ But foresight must not be wanting,” continued Fandrem. 
“ The golden rule of every merchant is, not to undertake that 
for which he has not sufficient strength. Speculation is the 
soul of trade ; but he who .ventures risks, without means, is a 
giddy-brained fool. Slow and sure, that is the word.” 

“ Speculate as carefully as you may, all will be in vain, if 
fortune abandons you ; undertake the boldest risk, and it will 
succeed, if fortune favors you.” 

“ Ha ! and you are, I suppose, a favorite of the blind god- 
dess,” cried Fandrem, laughing. 

u I have, at least, the courage to be,” replied the young ad- 
venturer. “ Formerly, I experienced the frowns of fortune ; 
and why should I not now believe that she will be more pro- 
pitious to me ? I will not suffer any antagonist to surpass me. 
He who does not fear misfortune, has always the best chance 
of success.” 

“ I wish you every good,” cried the merchant, raising his 
glass, u and that your ship of fortune may never run on a 
rock.” - 

In the coarse, red face, a rising sympathy was evident, which 
Marstrand increased, as he remarked, “ Everywhere, where 
men struggle for an object, fortune is opposed to fortune. 
Every one has his part therein ; the only question is, who shall 
have most ? They who seem to be the proudest and most se- 
cure, who contrive their plans with the greatest secresy and 
skill, are often the most easily overcome by antagonists, of whom 


214 


A FRAJA. 


they scarcely took notice. One must do right, Ilerr Fandrem ; 
the conscience must always be in order; and not only the head, 
hut the heart also be kept at the right place ; for thus can we 
cope with every enemy. It is written in the Bible, ‘ Be wise 
as serpents, but harmless as doves f this is a just saying, which 
helps us in many extremities.” 

This last reply made a various impression upon his table 
companions. Fandrem hummed to himself, and drained his 
glass, and his daughter’s countenance grew more animated than 
it had been. Helgestad, however, met the eyes of the speaker, 
and both sought to interpret their respective thoughts. 

“Nuh !” exclaimed the Nordlander, in his short, sober man- 
ner; “I calculate that every one will do what he can. He is 
right, who keeps his head above water, and executes what he 
begins. Every one must determine with himself what is con- 
science ; one says this, another that : Herr Marstrand must 
prove his proud words in many kinds of storm and weather.” 

“ Time will prove if I shall deserve your praise,” said 
Marstrand. 

“ Or whether your luck holds out,” said Niels, with a grin. 

“I think, Herr Fandrem,” replied Marstrand, “it will soon 
be evident that I have profited by Helgestad’s instruction.” 

“ I do not doubt it,” cried the Gruildmeister, holding out his 
glass. “Were the captain a man of your stamp, by heavens !” 
— he struck a heavy blow with the handle of his knife on the 
table — “ he should sit at my table, and be welcome to my 
house.” 

“ Heinrick Dahlen, as far as I know him, is an honorable 
and upright man,” he said, on behalf of his friend. 

“A Banish blusterer, a Jack in red hose — a misfortune is 
it for the country that it must support such idlers,” cried Fan- 
drem, with passion. “Would to heaven,” he continued, with 
a sigh, “Norway was what it once were, a free and independent 
kingdom, and Bergen again a city, framing its own laws. Then 
it would be better than now, when Banish bloodsuckers of all 


AFR A J A . 


215 


kinds, tax-gatherers, judges, priests, and profligate soldiers, lord 
it over us.” 

“ The beautiful maidens of Bergen will judge of this in a 
milder manner,” cried Marstrand, with a laugh. “ What says 
Miss Hannah thereto ?” 

“Bah!” cried the father, angrily, “behave properly, Herr, 
and do not ask a modest maiden questions about such matters. 
Bergen is, thanks to heaven, not such a Sodom as Trondheim, 
where the Banish officers go into the houses of the best fami- 
lies ; and balls, with other sinful amusements, ruin the young 
people.” 

“Is there no dancing, then, in Bergen?” asked Marstrand. 

“We live in an honest city,” answered Hannah, “where such 
follies are unheard of. Here, happily, we hear only of codfish and 
herring ; and instead of music, the roar of the winds among the 
warehouses, and the song of our dear friends, the Nordlanders, 
whose society gives us so much pleasure. Our innocent plea- 
sures consist only in passing the summer here on the heights, 
and of sitting by the stove, in the winter, at the German Bridge. 
It rains, regularly, two hundred days in the year at Bergen, 
when it does not snow, by way of change : we recognise every 
ray of sun as God’s especial gift.” 

Although the maiden spoke with apparent earnestness, Mar- 
strand was yet convinced that she was only indulging in some 
quiet satire ; her father, however, appeared to be much edified 
by the description. “You are right, maiden,” he said, “still 
and God-fearing is our modest life, without theatres or disorder. 
The families never meet together,” he continued, with evident 
satisfaction, “ and it is a rarity for them to visit and eat a dish 
of fresh sey or syld.” 

“ Genuine Bergen blood does not let the right hand know 
what the left hand does.” 

“ Excellent ! maiden, excellent !” continued Fandrem. “ Such 
is our existence, our own society suffices for our happiness. 
There is nothing better than a good education, Herr,” he ex 


216 


APR A J A. 


claimed, with a look of parental affection at his daughter. “ Fill 
your glass, and help yourself to the best rib. We drink with 
our guests, as long as they will ; but we would rather invite 
Satan into our house, than a Danish red-coat.” 

“Nuh!” said Helgestad, “ I see you have the same preju- 
dice against the red-coats in Bergen, as we in the North against 
Finns and Lapps.” 

“It is worse, Niels; it is worse !” said Fandrem, as the wine 
mounted to his head. “ A Lapp is a filthy creature ; but he is, 
nevertheless, an useful being, that can work, and is also able 
to drive a trade and business, to gather money, to employ his 
time acceptably to God;, one who costs nothing to his fellow- 
men, but rather affords them opportunity of gain and profit. 
Of what utility was ever a soldier to human society ? They are 
the drones in the beehive, Niels, and must be treated like them. 
Women, indeed, are easily fascinated by tassels, epaulets and 
other such like foppery; but were I to choose my son-in-law 
between a Lapp and a red-coat, may I be cursed if I would not 
give the preference to the former !” 

Laughter and a renewed dispute followed these passionate 
remarks, and, as on the previous evening, the glasses were filled 
and emptied until Fandrem was carried to bed, and Helgestad 
tottered to his room. The latter appeared, on this occasion, to 
have taken his full proportion without troubling himself about 
his companion, who, with considerable difficulty, helped him to 
bed ; he sank in the down, and in the next moment was sound 
asleep. 

Some time after, Marstrand extinguished the light, and 
opened the window. In the house all was quiet ; under the 
trees it was dark ; but the sky was full of stars, which cast a 
faint light. After a long observation, listening and looking 
around, Marstrand descended to the garden, and proceeded 
with cautious tread to the furthest path. A figure was leaning 
there, in the same spot where Hannah had cast the stone down 
the precipice, and it advanced towards him, as he emerged from 


APRAJA. 


217 


tlie trees. At the first word, Marstrand was convinced that it 
was the captain. He was enveloped in his cloak, and held his 
drawn sword in his hand. 

“ How !” he exclaimed, “ are yon armed with a drawn 
sword ?” 

“A necessary precaution,” answered Dahlen, thrusting his 
sword in the sheath. “ I should be treated with little cere- 
mony, if I were found here at night-time, alone and unarmed. 
A sudden push would send me over this parapet here ; and when 
I should be found in the morning, a hundred feet below, they 
would lay me in my grave without much regret.” 

“And who do you think capable of such villany?” 

“ Candidly, the thick-pated, knavish scoundrel who brought 
you here, if he could gain anything by it.” 

“And what would it profit him, to send you out of the 
world ?” 

“ I will tell you. He lets you live for the present, because 
it is to his interest; me, he would throw to the shades, because 
my pockets are empty — but his sack shall fill them.” 

“ I do not understand you, Heinriek,” said Marstrand. 

“ Wait a moment, and I will make it clear to you. I hold 
the grim old fellow for a gallows’ -bird of the worst kind; for a 
scion of those children of night whose whole aim was the ruin 
of men. He dragged you hither, in the first place, to talk you 
out of your fish at the lowest price, in order to share the profit 
between them. You have frustratedboth the honest men, but 
he has got you upon the credit-book of Fandrem, for which he 
has given his security, that is to say, for as much as Fandrem 
has lent him ; and he can, any day, say to you, get out of your 
shop, for it belongs to me, and not to you.” 

“ Nonsense,” muttered Marstrand. “ Could that, indeed, be 
his object ?” 

“ Satan take the scoundrel,” exclaimed Dahlen, in a louder 
tone ; “ but I would rather see him turn you out to-morrow, 
19 


218 


AFRAJA. 


and thus put an end to your madness, than that you, a free 
man, should live among sharpers and polar bears.” 

“ And who has advised you of all this ?” 

“ I could answer, a Kobold, or the beautiful goddess Gnu, 
who rides on the sunbeams, and exposes all secrets, or that I 
had dreamed it, — but here begins my own story. What I 
know, John, I know from a being who takes a lively interest in 
you, and yesterday heard your magnanimous patron swear that 
he would soon be done with you, although no one could despise 
your talents. But a young nobleman from Copenhagen was 
one spy more in Finnmark ; that you were, at bottom, an ex- 
cellent person, but with all kinds of fancies in your head, 
touching honor, right and justice, and that you were already 
putting your nose in matters with which you had no business. 
Is there not a fellow of the name of Paulsen or Petersen ?” 

u There is one,” answered Marstrand. 

11 He is his accomplice. Endeavor to escape him ; do not 
suffer yourself to be treated by this rabble like a seal, whose 
skin is stripped off his living body. Apply to the Governor, 
and, if necessary, at Copenhagen; you can reach Trondheim 
soonest, where I will give you my assistance.” 

“ And who is the being who takes this interest in my be- 
half?” 

“ That is a direct question,” replied Dahlen ; u yet I will 
give it a plain answer. Hannah is the name of your friend.” 

“ Fandrem’s daughter ! I thought so.” 

“ Thus, you know all. I have been acquainted with her for 
three months; and for the three weeks she has resided here 
above, I have every night visited this spot.” 

“ And, to all appearance, not alone.” 

“I never loved solitude,” said Dahlen, smiling; “and hap- 
pily Fandrem follows the good Bergen custom of going to bed 
early, after a stout meal and a good sleeping-draught.” 

“ He has no idea of your love passion ?” 

“He knows all; but he wishes to be ignorant. I have, in 


AFRAJA. 


219 


vain, attempted to approach him. It is an unheard of thing 
for a soldier, a Dane, and a nobleman, who has nothing but his 
uniform and sword, to be received into the house of one of 
these kings of the German Bridge. In vain has Hannah 
dropped some favorable words in my behalf; it has had no 
other effect than to render him more eager to deprive her of 
every opportunity of seeing me.” 

“ And now ?” 

“Now comes the Finnland porpoise, to drag Hannah into his 
hole, as a dainty morsel for a churl, who looks upon the fishing 
girls, in their bright frieze gowns and leather jackets, as the 
first beauties of the world.” 

“You are unjust,” replied Marstrand; “Bjornarne is a dif- 
ferent person from what you suppose.” 

“ How unjust ? I only know that a jewel, like this, is not 
fit for the hand and log-hut of a half savage trader. He shall 
not have her, and upon that I stake body and soul.” 

They had, in the meanwhile, arrived at the wall, and had 
conducted their conversation in a suppressed tone. Only the 
concluding words did Dahlen pronounce aloud, and with some 
emphasis. Marstrand laid his hand on his arm, and gazed in- 
quisitively into the bushes “ Hush,” he whispered ; “ did 

you hear nothing ?” 

“Nothing,” replied the other. “Make yourself easy; no 
one hears us, of whom we have to fear. Hannah must be mine 
at every cost.” \ 

“ Do you know that, by the law of the land, he who carries 
off a young girl is punishable with death ?” 

“ Only he is hanged who is caught,” replied the captain. “ I 
will not steal my treasure, but I will deliver her from her kid- 
napper. There would be a great outcry in Bergen, if the 
Guildmeister should, some morning, find his nest empty; and 
if I should be taken, their old statute-book of the time of 
Christian the Fourth would be opened, and heaven knows 
what one of its penalties would be applied to me, before I 


220 


A F 11 A J A . 


could obtain assistance. I will not afford these dirty fellows 
such a pleasure. I will act openly and above-board, and neither 
morals nor reputation shall be infringed upon by me. A go- 
vernment lugger carries me to Trondheim, and to-morrow 
morning, early, I go on board. Would it not be possible for 
my nimble little vessel, in the middle of the night, to draw up 
close alongside of the shapeless box, dubbed a yacht, and if a 
boat were quietly lying at its side, could not a prisoner be 
liberated, especially when there was a helping friend on board ?” 

“ Is this your plan ?” 

“ By heavens !” cried Dahlen, “ I know no other, and it is 
not difficult to accomplish. If I once get Hannah on board, 
and carry her to Trondheim, I am safe. General Munte will 
protect us, and things done cannot be undone. Fandrem will 
see that the affair is beyond remedy; and Helgestad will believe 
his victim has jumped overboard to escape from his murderous 
hands. I rely upon you, Marstrand; you can aid me to 
success.” 

“ You are mistaken ; I can do nothing.” 

“How?” asked the captain; “have I deceived myself?” 

“ Ask yourself, if I can help you in such a transaction.” 

“ Could you refuse me your cooperation to free a lady, who 
prefers death to a miserable, hopeless life, — to render your 
friend happy, — to deceive a heartless sharper, who wants 
Hannah’s money for his heir, and who looks upon her in the 
same light as a cargo of codfish ?” 

“ Is, then, this vain, giddy maiden, a person to render you 
happy ?” answered Marstrand. “ Is she not a mere doll, with 
whom you would regret to have shared your destiny, be it what 
it may ?” 

“Hold,” cried Heinrick; “ now you speak unjustly !” He 
immediately turned to the dark bushes, and continued, laughing, 
“ Come forth, sweet Hannah, and show him that he abuses you, 

without knowing you There she is; she has heard all, but 

she forgives, in advance, your sins.” 


AFRAJA. 


221 


The Dane was astounded to see how near the maiden was, 
when he expressed his opinion of her; but his surprise increased, 
as she jested upon it in the most good-natured manner. u I 
have nothing to forgive,” she said, u for how could Herr Mar- 
strand have formed any other judgment than that which I 
richly deserved by my conduct. It seemed to me the only 
means of preserving myself from Lyngenfiord, by showing my 
detestable father-in-law that I was not suited to it. I was, when 
quite young, deprived of my mother, sent to an educational 
establishment at Copenhagen, afterwards lived in Hamburg; 
and now, in pursuance of a family compact, which I abhor, the 
rest of my life must be passed in a desert. I will not,” she 
cried, leaning on her lover, u permit myself to be sold. Since 
my childhood I have thought with horror of this Helgestad, 
who has often threatened me with the honor which he now 
proposes. My father is good-hearted, and loves me ; but nothing 
in the world could induce him to make a Danish officer his son- 
in-law, so long as he could prevent it. All my entreaties have 
been in vain. The reports in Bergen concerning Heinrick and 
me have aroused his pride, and I have been subjected to cruel 
scenes. Now, he has gladly accepted the proposition of Hel- 
gestad, to carry me to the end of the world ; he would rather 
that I should perish, than not thus save himself from what he 
calls shame and disgrace.” She paused a moment, and then 
resumed in a milder tone ; u Since this, I have lost my cheer- 
fulness of disposition, but I have not given up all hope. Iso- 
lated as I am, I have patiently fulfilled my duty ; but a cheerful 
face I could no longer show to my father, who unfeelingly 
thrust me from him, and whose anger broke forth, whenever he 
heard Heinrich’ s name. We have, nevertheless, often in secret 
seen each other. God forgive me the sin, if it be one ; but has 
heaven bestowed such power on parents ? Are children so en- 
tirely their creatures, as to be disposed of, body and soul, like 
slaves? The laws say so — the holy commandments threaten 
disobedience with eternal perdition, and custom requires sub- 
19 * 


222 


AFRAJA. 


mission and despises the transgressor. I do not, I cannot, be- 
lieve that my love is a crime. How could it be ? Where is 
the stain that it has inflicted ? Where is the shame in his 
intimacy? Who knows anything evil of him? This is our 
story, Herr Marstrand, and it is a sad one, full of sorrow and 
unhappiness. What did you say to-day at my father’s table ? 
You said, t One must trust in the great goddess Fortune to 
defend him against falsehood and cunning/ I have lost my 
heart, but my head is filled with the thought of being where 
my heart is, and of never leaving him who has taken it.” 

“Now, friend, can you hesitate to assist us?” 

“ No,” replied Marstrand, “ I will help you as far as I can ; 
but is there no other way than the dangerous and uncertain one 
you propose ?” 

“ There is no less dangerous one. My plans are well laid. 
I am protected against the punishment of their accursed laws. 
Pursuit is not possible ; and I shall spoil the old scoundrel Hel- 
gestad’s sport, where he least expected it.” 

They walked up and down in anxious conversation as to what 
should be done. In three days the yacht could put to sea, and 
the lugger would await her at the mouth of the fiord. Signs 
were agreed upon for mutual understanding ; and Marstrand 
undertook to favor the escape, on the condition, however, that 
Hannah should previously employ every effort to change her 
father’s mind.” 

“ It will be in vain,” she replied ; “ but I will try it, that I 
may convince myself there is no other choice left.” 

A yellow light hung over the summits of the highest moun- 
tains, as Marstrand turned to leave the lovers. “ Take her with 
you,” said Dahlen, “ otherwise the sun will find us -here, and 
betray to all Bergen what has passed. Be her protector, 
Marstrand, and in return, I will be your true friend in all 
events.” He laid both hands on Hannah’s head and endeavored 
to scan her features, and then drew her to his breast. “ My 
heart will beat for you to its last throb,” he said; “do you 
firmly believe it ?” 


A r R A J A . 


223 


“ Forever, my Heinrick,” she whispered. 

“Then farewell and he ready. Trust my luck and your 
fortune.” 

He rapidly hurried to the wall and down the steep path 
which conducted below, and soon disappeared. 

“ Farewell !” cried Hannah, after him, and she listened until 
she heard him clap his hands from beneath. “ He is gone ; he 
is quick and prudent, and I fear not. Yesterday, he lay there 
under the bushes waiting for the stone to which I had tied my 
note. Thereupon you came up to me, and I did not know how 
to endure the unacceptable society except by silence.” 

“ Will I in future be more welcome ?” 

“ My friend’s friend is my friend also,” she responded ; 
“ though, for the present, she remains the same vain doll as 
formerly. We are acting certain parts, Herr Marstrand, and 
we must not be indifferent actors, if the conclusion is to gratify 
the spectators. To-morrow evening, when we meet again, we 
can resume our natural characters.” 

They separated, and some moments after he climbed into the 
window, from which he had descended to the garden, and 
cautiously glided to his chamber. 


CHAPTER X. 

On the next day, the fair Ilda had shipped her cargo, the 
goods were stowed in the hold, and a quantity of iron bars piled 
up against the mast. The Guildmeister was in an especial good 
humor. He privately informed Helgestad that the Danish 
swaggerer had left the city, and with a hearty curse he wished 
him a good voyage. In the evening, the merchants gave the 
captains a feast in the old tower hall, where, formerly, Christian 
the Second, that cruel enemy, and subsequent victim of the 


224 


AERAJA. 


nobility, had first seen and danced with the beautiful Dyveke. 
On this occasion there was no dancing. The ladies of Bergen 
withheld their presence from the banquet ; but there was great 
eating, and drinking deep into the night. Fandrem plied his 
glass with such zeal, that Marstrand was obliged to see him 
home, before midnight, amid the jests and laughter of the 
company at his early discomfiture. 

Helgestad returned only with the dawn ; but he possessed 
such an inexhaustible fund of strength, that an hour after he 
was again at work, and did not desist until the yacht had drawn 
out into the middle of the harbor, and everything was in readi- 
ness for sailing; as soon as the ebb tide should begin to run. 

During the whole day, many people had been at work on 
board ; boats had carried provisions and stores, and at last the 
old speculator showed Marstrand the cabin and its arrange- 
ments. He had put up a curious little chamber, furnished with 
all kinds of comforts. A bed with curtains was secured against 
the side ; a mirror and a table, a carpet and a pretty bureau, 
with several soft, easy chairs, presented an unaccustomed ele- 
gance in the fair Ilda. The rough woodwork was everywhere 
covered with yellow cotton stuff, and flowers and ornaments of 
various kinds had not been forgotten. 

u Nuh !” said he with his finger upon his nose, u no one 
shall say that a Nordlander is deficient in taste. I will show 
the proud maiden that we are people with whom she can live ; 
and, if it pleases her, Bjornarne, on his marriage-day, shall put 
on bright green breeches, and a red coat, with lace, like a 
nobleman at court.” 

He laughed aloud ; but as he saw that his companion did not 
sympathize with him, he begged Marstrand, for that day, to 
assume a cheerful countenance, and dismiss all thought of him- 
self — “ I well know,” he said, “ that Fandrem’ s daughter does 
not please you, and I also have but little inclination towards 
her ; I have, however, considered the question on all sides, and 
I am certain that what I am doing is right.” 


APRAJA. 


225 


“I hope so,” replied Marstrand, “but” 

“ Lay all buts aside,” cried Helgestad, “ I know the women 
better. If you, a fine gentleman, with white hands, in so short 
a time have acquired a love for the life of the fiords and rocks, 
what can she not do, who is attached to them by blood ? You 
have nothing to do the whole voyage but to pass time agree- 
ably, as young people ought to do. I should be sorry for people 
to say that I had compelled her to enter my house. Now, let 
us go to Fandrem' s, to eat his bread and drink his wine for the 
last time.” 

All preparations had been made for this purpose ; for, when 
they reached the villa, the table was already set out, and the 
Guildmeister was seated before it; by no means, however, as a 
joyous host with a smiling face; he appeared rather to be 
absorbed in deep thought, and shrank back as he heard Helge- 
stad’s voice. His daughter sat opposite to him, and between 
them both lay a letter, which Hannah took up, and went into 
the house. 

“Nuh,” said Helgestad, as he stood before his relative, 
“all's ready for sailing, and with the earliest dawn, I shall 
raise anchor. Why has Hannah left us ?” 

“She will return,” said Fandrem. “We have received 
letters from my son, who will return, at the latest, in three 
months.” 

“ Will you, in future, keep him here ?” 

“ I think I am old enough to require help,” murmured the 
merchant. “ He has a longing to see his sister, writes to her 
as tenderly as a lover, and urges me to take good care of her, 
and to wait for his return.” 

Marstrand had retired to a distance, and the two old men 
were left alone. Helgestad took off his tarpaulin, wiped the 
perspiration from his wrinkled brow, and crossing his legs, 
scrutinized Fandrem with a penetrating look. 

“Null!” said he, “I think I comprehend all, and can speak 
frankly with you. Ho you believe, Uve, that I do not know 

P 


226 


AFRAJA. 


what the people in Bergen whisper in the ear ? I have heard 
of it, and know more of it, hut it is not my business to trouble 
myself about matters of which the least said the better.” 

“ What do the people in Bergen say ? What do they 
know ?” shouted the excited man. 

“I may not repeat it,” replied Helgestad quietly, “ I do not 
like to put my hands in pitch, when I can avoid it, Uve. 
Hannah must be gone, if you would silence this talk and 
ridicule.” 

The little thick merchant gave vent to a long-drawn sigh, 
without replying. 

“ I observe from your words,” said Helgestad, “ that Hannah 
has turned to her brother, and I should infer from your coun- 
tenance, that the young Herr had persuaded you to his wishes. 
It is an evil thing with children, Uve, who, among foreign 
people, learn to forget what is proper. Another race is grow- 
ing up in the world, different from that of our young days. 
The egg will be wiser than the hen ; but the question is, if it 
is not the duty of a father to keep his house in order, and to 
teach his children obedience.” 

“ You are right, you are right,” exclaimed Fandrem. 

“ You should know,” continued Helgestad, as he bent down 
to him, “ that Ilda would prefer another man to the one I have 
destined for her.” 

Fandrem turned inquiringly to Marstrand, who was walking 
with Hannah in the garden, and then looked at his cousin, who 
responded with a nod, and a twitch of his grey eyes. 

“ I have thought of this,” continued Helgestad, “but not a 
word ever escaped her lips on the subject. There is a happy 
intelligence in the girl, which informs her of my wishes. She 
is ready for what is determined upon ; I have already the bridal 
ring in my pocket — and in a few days after my return to 
Lyngenfiord, Ilda will place it on Paul Petersen’s finger.” 

“It must be so, to obtain a father’s blessing,” said the 
Guildmeister, in an unctuous tone. 


AFR A J A. 


227 


“ You have all in your own hands, and can do as you please. 
Old friendship and ties of blood, old promises, with new pledge 
of hands, stand on the right hand, and on the left the wishes 
of your children ; you must choose between them.” 

“I hope you know me,” replied Fandrem; “I have never 
broken my word.” 

“ Then act like a man. Listen no more to sobs and sighs, 
as a woman. Call her here — I will tell her what is to be 
done.” 

Fandrem clapped his hands, and Hannah left her companion, 
who slowly followed, at a distance. 

“ Come here, maiden,” began Niels, extending to her his 
huge hand, “ there is something serious between us.” In a 
dry and positive manner he said that, at ten o’clock, he was 
going on board, and that she must accompany him. All is 
ready for your reception, and before the day breaks the yacht 
will have left the signal tower behind her. 

For. a moment Hannah’s face assumed a paler hue. She 
looked at her father, who nodded to her, with a kindly smile. 
“ It is necessary and indispensable, Hannah,” he said. “ You 
must go to meet your bridegroom, and you will return, bloom- 
ing as a rose. Ha ! ha ! blooming as a rose, Niels. You must 
give her back to me fresh as a rose. Heaven protect you ! 
Hannah, heaven protect you ! It is irrevocably settled.” 

“ Is there no retreating, father ?” she asked. 

“ None, Hannah, all is for your happiness, child ; all for your 
true happiness.” 

“And my brother’s request, my prayers, father?” she re- 
sumed, clasping her hands. 

“ There is no help, Hannah !” cried Fandrem, grasping his 
wig. “ I hope you will respect your father’s wishes, and will 
act as becomes you.” 

“Yes, father,” she calmly replied, “I know that all suppli- 
cations are useless, and I am ready.” 

“ It is the result of good education,” said Helgestad, with a 


228 


A F R A J A . 


grimace. “You have received a good understanding from 
heaven ; pack up your treasures, Hannah, and fear not. I will 
protect you, maiden, as my own life ; I will bring her back, 
Uve, fresh and red as a rose. You will make a journey, Han- 
nah, which you will remember all your life. Fine weather, a 
good vessel, and a nice little cabin ; also a fine gentleman, who 
has sworn to serve you like a courtier does a noble dame. So 
shake hands, Hannah, and let us cheerfully pass the last day.” 

“ Let us be merry and happy,” cried Fandrem, “ merry and 
happy forever !” 

“That I hope, father; yes, I hope so, cousin Helgestad,” re- 
plied Hannah. “ I hope our return will be more joyous than 
our departure.” 

Fandrem was glad to see that his daughter made less opposi- 
tion than he had expected. He drew her to his arms, kissed her, 
and whispered in her ear all kinds of promises and consolation. 
“ It is hard enough,” he said aloud, “ to let you go, but it must 
be so ; sit down now, Hannah, by my side, and all shall be for- 
gotten and forgiven. You will return with Bjornarne, to be 
married here. May I be denied eternal happiness, if it will 
not be such a marriage ceremony as Bergen never yet has seen ! 
Children, and children’s children, shall relate how Fandrem’ s 
daughter walked under a canopy, how magnificently she enter- 
tained her guests, and what gifts she bestowed upon the poor, 
the hospital, and the church.” 

Amid such remarks the repast went on, the wine was not 
spared, and with jest and laugh it closed. Helgestad observed, 
with especial satisfaction, that Hannah had packed her trunks 
in advance, and had bespoke a costly wedding-dress of rare 
elegance. Two Nordlanders next came from the yacht, and 
carried the travelling chests on board. When it was dark, 
Helgestad put on his hat, and tapped Hannah on the shoulder. 

“ Nuh !” said he, “ everything in this world, as is best, has 
an end. Come then, maiden, take your cloak, and give the old 
man your hand. Say no more, but give him a kiss and a good- 


AFR A J A. 


229 


night, as you are wont to do. In a few moons you will he 
here again; act, then, as if you were going on a pleasure 
trip.” 

“ It is a pleasure voyage, a bridal trip, and may it be a glad 
one,” cried Fandrem. u Every year I must have you. You 
will come with the first voyage, and remain with your old 
father until Bjornarne, in high summer, takes you away again. 
This is all written in the marriage agreement, Hannah ; and 
now go, my child; I must console myself the best I can. When 
I see you again, your lover will be with you, and I will take 
you both in my arms, and hold you as fast as I can.” 

“ Your blessing for me and him,” lisped the daughter, laying 
her head on his bosom. 

“ Take it, child ; take it upon all your ways,” replied Fan- 
drem, laying his hand upon her breast. 

Ilelgestad interrupted this leave-taking, whilst he drew Han- 
nah back, and grasped Fandrem’s fingers between his own. 

“ Good-night, Uve,” he said. “ Enough for to-day; to-morrow 
you must drink your wine alone.” 

u Remember me to all at Lyngenfiord,” cried the merchant, 
falling back in his chair, “ and hurry with the fish, Niels. The 
quicker they are here the better — first price, the best price. A 
pleasant voyage, Herr Marstrand ! May the Balsfiord do you 
honor, and bring you no harm. Light them, Lars, as far as 
the tower. Are they already ascended there ? — so much the 
better.” He stretched himself out in the chair, covered his 
round belly with his hands, and laughed quietly to himself ; 
then he filled a large glass several times, and drained it drop 
by drop, holding it before the light to admire the ruby wine 
with his leering eyes, which every moment swam more and 
more in giddy gaze. “ It must be so,” he murmured to him- 
self ; u the maiden must go — I could no longer bear the disagree- 
able face. All must be settled, as it ought to be, before Christ- 
mas. Helgestad is the man to arrange everything. He is the 
richest man in Finnmark, and will become richer. Marstrand, 
20 


230 


AFR A J A. 


the Danish fool, it’s a pity for him — ha, ha ! Would I had tho 
royal patent ; but it has fallen into the right hands, and Hannah 
will have her share in it. All is good, all as heaven wishes 
it ! ” 

Hereupon the worthy Fandrem leaned his head against the 
cushioned arm-chair, and fell into such a sound sleep, that his 
housekeeper and his old servant Lars could with difficulty arouse 
him, and conduct him to bed. 

The morning had hardly yet dawned upon the peaks of the 
Floyfjeld, as the Fair Ilda lifted her anchor, and sailed beneath 
the signal-tower. All was still in the harbor; the city yet 
slumbered, a light mist rose from the fiord, and the smoke 
hovered over the huts of the fishermen, and the lovely 
little valleys were buried in the darkness. As the heavy vessel, 
with many windings, made her way, now through narrow water- 
passes, and then across the great basins, she awoke the sleeping 
water, whose swelling waves, as they plashed against the yacht 
and the rocks, seemed to say — Whither are you going, and why 
do you disturb our tranquillity ? Helgestad, in his great oiled 
cap, and thick sailor jacket, stood at the helm, and guided the 
vessel through this labyrinth. Now and then he cast a glance 
over the low rocks, where the church of Hammer already showed 
its spire, and the Sound of Alvesund opened to view. A light 
breeze drove the vessel forward at a tolerably rapid rate. Be- 
hind, the sun shone over the icy summits around the Hardan- 
gerfiord, and shot its beams over woods and bold masses of 
rock, which bathed their feet in the sea, and lifted their cloud- 
covered heads to the heavens. The day advanced, and Helge- 
stad was glad to perceive that there was no stir yet in the cabin 
below. “ Nuh !” he muttered, u it is a good sign of a healthy 
sleep. I wish they would both sleep until the old church of 
Lyngen wakens them with its bell.” 

It was now become broad day, and nothing more was to bo 
seen of Bergenfiord, when Marstrand showed himself, and 
Hannah soon after followed him. 


A F R A ,T A . 


231 


“You are welcome, maiden/’ cried Hclgcstad, offering her 
his hand ; “ you can stand the sea, as I observe. And you have 
done well to put that on/’ as he remarked her dark woollen 
dress, and hat of oiled silk. 

“I hope you will be satisfied with me, cousin Niels/’ she 
replied. 

“And do you not look back, Hannah? Do you not ask 
where Bergen stands ?” 

“ I look forward,” she replied, as she boldly raised her eyes. 
“ What lies behind us must be forgotten.” 

“ It is a fact,” he cried ; “ you have calculated aright. As 
soon as you are out in the open air, and on the broad sea, your 
Nordland blood, maiden, will awaken, which longs after 
freedom.” 

“After freedom, cousin Niels — that is the right word. I 
almost feel it already in my veins, and it makes me feel better 
and lighter of spirit and body.” 

“ Are you glad to be here, Hannah ?” 

“ Glad indeed, and I hope to be yet more so. It is beautiful 
here. What a curious nature — what innumerable rocks ! And 
how huge those mountains ! how green those ravines and 
valleys !” 

“ You will see much more beautiful, maiden,” he said, with 
a pleased nod. “ The farther to the north, the grander is crea- 
tion. It will imperceptibly fascinate you, so that you cannot 
leave it again : as the invisible chain of Osla, which winds 
around every one who touches it, without observing it, and 
draws him into her grotto. You shall see the deep caverns at 
Lyngenfiord, where the witch once dwelt, and yet dwells,” he 
continued, with a smile. “Bjornarne shall take you to the 
rapid whirlpool, where the waters are sucked into the abyss, no 
one knows where, and from which no boat has ever returned, 
that has once been drawn in.” 

Hannah’s lips trembled so that she was obliged to turn round, 
concealing her emotion under inquiries touching the churches, 


232 


AFR A J A. 


towns, and high mountains, which seemed to form a gigantic 
wall around the ship. 

Helgestad placed a man at the helm, caused a table, chairs, 
and breakfast to be brought on deck, and satisfied at ease all 
her questions. For half a century he had voyaged over this 
sea, and it was all familiar to him. He could name the family 
that inhabited every house he pointed out. All these numerous 
fiords, sounds, and devious tracts of sea were old friends to him ; 
and there was no mountain peak the name of which was un- 
known to him. 

• He laughed aloud as Hannah expressed her fears that the 
yacht might lose herself in this labyrinth, or stick fast, so as 
not to be able to move farther. 

“ It seems likely, but rarely happens. Often, cliffs and dark 
walls lie around us, at sight of which the anxious heart exclaims 
there is no escape. He, however, who stands firm, and moves 
his hands and keeps his eyes and ears open, always again finds 
a road which leads to open water. Is it not so ?” 

u It is so ,” said Hannah ; u no one should despair.” 

“Null !” spoke Helgestad, “ we are here before Indre Sulen, 
wild rocks without number, and there is the way into the great 
Sognefiord. Many kings have dwelt there, and Norway’s his- 
tory there begun. King Nor founded his kingdom there after 
the great battle with the Aasen ; there King Harald Harfager 
conquered the bloody Wickinger, and the great Jarl of Mar, 
and many good folk yet dwell around that blessed water. 
Without, it is full of rocks and narrow ; within, however, it is 
magnificent and rich in fertility. No one should fear a rough 
beginning, Hannah; for what lies behind often appears the 
more pleasing for the contrast.” 

Helgestad spoke with more knowledge than he was credited 
with of the history of his native country ; and related to his 
auditors many tales of the olden time, when the interior of this 
great fiord, with the islands, was inhabited by that savage and 


AFRAJA. 


233 


warlike race who, living on piracy, spread the terror of the 
Norman name throughout Europe. 

Several hours were thus passed, during which the yacht 
glided through the insular chain of Indre Sulen. To the as- 
tonishment and horror of the maiden, the vessel sometimes ran 
towards piles of rock, which it almost grazed with the bowsprit, 
before a sudden turn of the rudder directed it into an unob- 
served, narrow pass, through which, by the force of the current 
and the sail, it was driven into another maze of the scattered 
rocks. 

At last the smooth water expanded to a breadth of several 
miles. The high coasts receded, woody mountains formed deep 
bays, and to the westward lay a chain of islands, between which 
the waves of the Atlantic rolled in all their might. It was 
here that another vessel, with two slender masts, steering nearer 
to the coast, came into sight behind some flat, naked rocks ; but 
it soon after disappeared from view under the high shores. 

Hannah’s eyes discovered it first. “ There is a yacht,” she 
said, pointing with her finger. 

Helgestad cast a glance at the object, and smiled. “ Nuh !” 
he cried ; “ you seem to me like a Nordlander in Copenhagen, 
who, upon seeing some goldfish in the king’s pond, said to his 
companion, 1 Peter, look at the herrings ; they are the same as 
with us, only smaller ; but, by St. Olaf ’s beard ! they have 
painted them yellow.’ As the honest fellow held every fish 
with which he was not acquainted to be a herring, so you think 
every sea-going craft is a yacht. You will soon learn the dif- 
ference with your good eyes, maiden.” 

“ And how do you call the vessel ?” asked Hannah. 

Helgestad looked again, and then morosely drew his cap over 
his brow. “ It is one of those,” said he, “ which, like sharks, 
prowl up and down ; and wherever they are seen, honest people 
thank God if no harm is done by them.” 

“ How ! is it a pirate ?” 

“Nuh I” exclaimed the trader; “one might think that the 
20 * 


234 


AFRAJA. 


fellow had plunder in view. Look at him, how he shoots out 
of the gulf. He is long, sharp, and slender, and flutters a sig- 
nal at his mast-head to caution people to beware of him.” 

11 It is a coast-guard on a cruise,” said Marstrand, as he re- 
cognised the government flag. 

“ One of the many bloodhounds that are now sent out to em- 
bitter poor peoples’ lives.” 

The government at that period maintained a high tariff on 
imports, and exercised unusual vigilance to prevent smuggling 
from England and Germany, especially of brandy. The pre- 
sence of numerous revenue- cutters was of course ineffectual to 
completely accomplish such an aim on this island-lined and 
broken coast. These cutters had the right to detain all vessels 
at pleasure, to overhaul their cargoes, and to compare them with 
the bill of lading. The Danish luggers and sloops, for this rea- 
son, were deeply hated ; and a round of curses accompanied the 
fleet sailer as she ran up, on the main-yard of her mainmast, the 
Danish flag, and, hauling sharp on the wind, steered to the yacht. 

As a bird of prey, circling round and watching its victim, she 
ran, in wide sweeps, around the heavy craft. Two officers stood 
upon the deck of the lugger, who, with their glasses, examined 
the yacht for some time ; and it seemed as if they would con- 
tent themselves with this inspection. All at once, the lugger 
turned round ; and, to If elgestad’s great displeasure, he was in 
a few moments at his stern and hailed him. 

“ I could tell you where I wish you were,” said Helgestad ; 
but his rage increased, as a boat was let down from the stern of 
the lugger, and a half dozen sailors and two men, in the uni- 
form of custom-house officers, sprang into it and rowed to the 
yacht, the sail of which was lowered. The coast-guard, in the 
meanwhile, lay at cable’s length from the Nordlander; her deck 
was well-manned, and the long guns on her bow admonished 
obedience to her commands. 

A minute afterwards, half of the sailors, with their leaders, 
had climbed up the rope-ladder of the yacht, which rose up 


A F II A J A . 


235 


from the water like a giant alongside of the little lugger. As 
a bound giant, Helgestad also obeyed the request of the officer 
for his papers. With a sullen look he descended into the cabin, 
followed by the officer, who narrowly scrutinised every nook 
and corner. 

His companion remained on deck, and while the crew were 
engaged in conversation with the stranger sailors, it pleased 
him to approach Marstrand and the maiden. A fall or a wound 
must have injured his sight, for he wore a black plaster over 
his eye, and a red, bushy beard covered his chin. 

“We know,” he said in a rough tone, that this ship is full 
of contraband. You will do well to conceal nothing.” 

“Hoes the Herr take me for something of the kind?” asked 
the young lady. 

“ Oh, Hannah,” he replied in a whispering tone, “ how gladly 
would I press this contraband to my heart, and carry it off with 
me. My mask, indeed, must have been successful, to have de- 
ceived the penetrating glance of love.” 

“Heinrick,” she replied, trembling with joy and fear, “what 
a surprise ! I did not expect you here to-day, at least in the 
person of a revenue officer.” 

“All that can help, must be made use of,” said the Captain. 
I wished to see you, and to say that I am ready, and near you. 
The coast-guard cruises at the mouth of the Sognefiord, and 
Lieutenant Hansen, my friend, whom it pleases to aid me, had 
the old dress of a revenue officer on board ; and as we discerned 
your floating prison, a visit was determined on. It has suc- 
ceeded, dear Hannah ; he will detain the old scoundrel below, 
with the papers, as long as it may be necessary. Be prepared, 
my life ! Sleep sweetly and soundly to-night, but to-morrow 
watch and hope. 

“ Marstrand, my friend, stand by her,” he continued, turn- 
ing to him. “ The wind is good, and will grow stronger. The 
yacht will, to-morrow, be at the entrance of the Eidfiord, where 
I will await you. During the night you will anchor, for this 


236 


AFRAJA. 


heavy-laden box cannot sail through the confused maze of rocks 
of Staatenland in the darkness. Be ready then, my Hannah, 
for my coming. All is arranged for a rapid flight to Christian- 
sund.” 

^ “You will find me,” she said, grasping his hand, but which, 
without answering, he released, as he saw Helgestead’s head 
emerging from the cabin. 

“ I hope, Herr Helgestad,” said the officer, “ you hold the 
service in too much respect to be offended. I will look no 
farther. Up sail, ; bout, ready ! Happy voyage, Herr !” 

The two officers immediately jumped into the yawl, and with 
a dozen pulls of the oars they were again on board of the lugger, 
which instantly shot ahead of the yacht. The polite officers 
saluted from their deck; Hannah modestly responded, and 
Helgestad, who raised his cap, muttered loud enough, that they 
might be hanged with all the prying, good-for-nothing spies, 
who, out of mere pastime and insolence, waylaid honest people. 

The little adventure had passed off so quickly and pleasantly, 
that it was soon forgotten ; and the lugger, laying close to the 
wind, in half an hour had entirely disappeared. The yacht con- 
tinued her voyage the whole day through ; and Helgestad mixed 
his grog, and was in the best of humor at the favorable wind 
and weather. Occasionally, the fair Ilda traversed open ranges 
of the sea, where she was tossed about by the great waves ; but 
she soon again lost herself among the endless small sounds, 
until darkness came on, and Helgestad deemed it best to cast 
anchor in a little quiet bay. 

Hannah could not complain of a want of friendly attention. 
Helgestad was as constantly engaged with her as possible, and 
Marstrand was always ready for conversation and amusement. 
What was the subject of the former is easy to conceive. When- 
ever she could, the maiden spoke of her plan of deceiving 
Helgestad, and how she might best manage, at night, to go on 
deck. The room in which Hannah slept formed the innermost 
part of the cabin, and she must go through the latter to reach 


AFR A J A. 


237 


the door of the staircase. A lamp burned there, and Helgestad 
and Marstrand slept on either side. She had the most hope of 
overcoming the danger, by loitering upon deck until Helgestad, 
overcome by fatigue, should seek his couch, and leave her 
there also. 

In order to accomplish this, Hannah already set to work. 
After supper, when the old skipper had taken his sleeping 
draught, and was nodding in his chair, she put on her bonnet 
again, and requested Marstrand to accompany her in a prome- 
nade on deck. 

“You are very foolish, maiden,” said Helgestad, opening 
his eyes. “We are lying here between steep cliffs, and the fog 
falls as heavily as lead upon the breast.” 

“ I love the night,” she replied. “ It is consoling, in the 
middle of the sea, to be watched by the light of a single star, 
and to confide in it, when the evil spirits descend in the fogs — 
when sparkling light flashes from the clouds, and the hollow 
tones of the wind sound like the voices of spirits from the clefts 
and caverns of the rocks. 

“ Null !” cried Helgestad, angrily, “ I have heard enough of 
such nonsense. It is called poetry, and it is made by people 
who have time to imagine things, not as they are, but as they 
might be. You will soon be cured of all this ; you will feel 
the rough reality, and will be glad to seek your bed and house, 
when the stars without appear like twinkling sparks in the 
clammy fog. Gro with her, Marstrand, and show that you, 
also, have some of the fantastic stuff in you, of which Paul 
Peterson possessed such an abundant stock; but look to it, 
that you bring her back when her dress is dampened by the 
fog.” 

With these remarks he dismissed them, and was already in 
a sound sleep as Hannah, some hours after, glided by to bed, 
and Marstrand softly whispered good-night. 

The next day passed as the first. The weather remained fine, 
but the wind, from time to time, blew up masses of cloud, and 


288 


AFRAJA. 


swelled the sail with its violence. The sea basins, this day, ap- 
peared full of life. Seals and dolphins swarmed around the 
I vessel ; over the brooding-places of the sea-birds fluttered flocks 
of ravens and auks; and a fin-fish spouted its jet of water high 
into the air, and announced the herring swarms, in the catch 
of which numerous fishing-boats were busily engaged. Hel- 
gestad bought lobsters and red-eyed Ure from one of these 
boats, for the dinner; and, by dint of jest and persuasion, in- 
duced Hannah herself to take charge of the cooking of the 
meal, a thing which she had always left to the housekeeper, at 
home. 

“ You will learn, child,” he said, “ therefore is man sent into 
the world ; and they are right who say that necessity is the best 
teacher. You will see how Ilda conducts the house ; and there 
is something in your face which assures me you can do much, 
if you choose. There is a proud expression in your eyes, of a 
disposition to shrink from nothing, and to yield to nothing.” 

The jesting of the old trader was so far effective, that Hannah, 
to escape further importunity, set to work and proved herself 
sufficiently expert for a beginner. In part it arose from her 
desire to gain Helgestad’s good-will, from its enabling her to 
conceal her mental agitation which prompted her to continually 
scan every inlet and opening of the islands, and with Helge- 
stad’s glass at her eye, to sweep the horizon in quest of the 
peaked sail of the lugger. 

The nearer approached the evening, the more intense was 
her anxiety. Where was the rescuing boat, and what would 
become of her, if it did not appear ? Marstrand pacified her 
as much as he could. — “ I do not doubt that the lugger passed 
us in the night, and is lying concealed under some promontory 
for our coming.” 

“And if it should not appear? If I should hope in 
vain? If some harm has happened to him ?” she anxiously 
murmured. 

u He will come to-morrow, or send us a message.” 


AFR A JA. 


239 


u He must come, or I shall despair,” was her answer. (C I 
could not conceal my feelings a day longer, with this anxiety 
of heart,” 

“Helgestad was wrong, then, in attributing to you such 
strength of mind ?” 

She paused, and then more placidly said, “ He does not 
know me, hut he is right in expecting something from me. I 
have need of all my firmness to withstand his cold icy looks.” 

The darkness was coming on, and red evening clouds lay 
scattered over the sky. The yacht flew faster before the wind, 
and before her opened a broad arm of the sea, dotted with 
island groups and isolated rocks, behind which the coast 
stretched out in dim lines in the distance. To the left rolled 
the boundless sea in wide swells, upon whose billowy crests the 
evening light trembled in a soft dazzle. 

Helgestad stood at the helm, scanning wind and waves. 
u Nuh !” said he, smiling at Hannah, who had placed herself 
near him, “ you will soon see a merry dance. Look there at 
the long dark ledge, upon which the surf is breaking, that is 
Staatenland. Thence we steer out into the open sea, where 
the south-west wind will give the fair II da a jolly shaking.” 

The navigation along the coast of Norway, almost always, 
lies among the innumerable islands and rocky groups, which 
have survived the revolutions of nature, and form most curious 
passages and sounds; sometimes they suddenly cease, and the 
waves of the Atlantic and the Polar sea then dash in unbroken 
fury against the mountains of the continent, and a vessel must 
often lay by for several days in some sheltered nook, until the 
sea is calmed. 

Helgestad also would not undertake to double Staatenland 
by night, although the wind had considerably abated. “ You 
shall sleep quietly, child,” said he. “ To-morrow morning, you 
had better remain in bed, if the spray breaks over the bow. Do 
you see the sharp rocks before us? That is the island Silden. 


APR A JA. 


1 

240 

No one can securely dwell there, but it is a gift of God ; for, 
in its bay, twenty yacbts could lay at once.” 

Half an hour after, the fair Ilda ran under the high wall 
of Silden; all motion ceased, and gently impelled by a light 
puff of wind to the sure harbor, the vessel was made fast to 
one of the great iron rings, inserted in the rock. The crew 
were yet occupied in securing the yacht, when, almost imper- 
ceptibly, a boat glided before the bay in the darkness, with its 
sail furled, and two men at the oars. A third stood in the 
bow and hailed the yacht; “ God’s peace be with you. Where 
do you come from?” 

Helgestad looked over the taffrail keenly at the boat, and 
replied, “ From Bergen. You are late on the water.” 

“We are accustomed to it,” returned the man. “We are 
fishermen from Selloen.” 

“If you have any fish, bring them here,” ^aid the Nord- 
lander. 

“ We must first make our haul. Our nets are ready, and at 
eleven o’clock comes the flood tide.” 

“Helm and stern” said Helgestad, laughing. “You must 
have good eyes. I advise you to go home, it will be a wild 
night.” 

“Night or not, we will find in darkness what we seek,” was 
the reply. 

A laugh accompanied these words, while the boat disap- 
peared in the canal, which, running out of the bay, opened 
into the sea, between a tortuous line of rocks. 

“ Gallant fellows !” exclaimed Helgestad. “ It is a hard life, 
before which many a stout heart would shrink with fear; they 
will have luck to boast of, when the morning breaks upon them 
fresh and jovial.” 

Hannah trembled slightly against Marstrand, and when Hel- 
gestad had withdrawn, she excitedly whispered, “ It was he, it 
was his voice ! Now, Herr Marstrand, we must summon up 
our courage. What time is it ?” 


AFRA J A. 


241 


(t It is ten o’clock,” be replied. 

“ At eleven, Heinrick will be here. Yet a long, anxious hour ! 
My heart may break, but it will obey ; hear me. When we 
are sitting at table, drink with him, amuse him with stories, 
speak of your plans, and keep him seated, while I go out. 
Employ all your ingenuity to prevent him seeing or hearing 
anything but you.” 

“ You must do what I ask of you,” she continued as Mar- 
strand objected. u You remain in his power, and cannot take 
any part in my flight.” 

* “ I would not deny my participation, if he should seek to 

know it,” said John. 

“ No suspicion will be raised, if you are not near me,” she 
answered. “ Engross his attention ; that is all I ask of you. 
And now, worthy sir, let us descend. Think the best of me. 
And if I ever meet you again, suffer me to be your grateful 
friend.” 

The table was standing in the cabin, covered with meats ; and 
upon the stove, the tea-kettle was boiling. Helgestad was more 
tender and attentive than ever to Hannah. He laid his hand 
on her brow, and felt her hands. “ Nuh !” he exclaimed, 
“ your head burns like fire, maiden, and your fingers are icy 
cold. You must keep yourself from harm, in order to arrive 
at Lyngenfiord with a blooming face; but I have a remedy 
here against frost and fever.” 

He pointed to the bowl, in which he was preparing some 
punch, the Norwegian nectar, whilst Hannah laid the plates, 
cut the meat, brought the bread from the side closet, and ex- 
hibited so much activity that the old trader could not refrain 
from a hum of satisfaction. 

a You will surpass them all,” he said. u It is the effect of 
blood. Pure Norwegian blood is better than all your educa- 
tion.” 

“ I hope to fully satisfy you to-day, cousin Niels,” she re- 
sponded with a smile. 

21 


Q 


242 


AFR A J A. 


“ You have a good heart. I will pledge myself for you as a 
good daughter. Take your glass and pour out; you shall 
always he as happy as to-day. May all our wishes he fulfilled l” 

“ To-morrow as to-day, and forever,” she replied, heartily 
emptying her glass. 

“ Amen !” said Helgestad. “ I look upon your eyes with 
joy, Hannah, they shine like stars in heaven. Does the wish 
come from the bottom of your heart? I think so. Is it 
not so ?” 

“ Yes, cousin, from my soul, I wish that my happiness may 
also he yours.” 

“ I calculate it must he so,” he said, laying his finger upon 
his nose, with a cunning grin. “ You look like your mother, 
Hannah, spruce and trim, and truthful. Nothing is wanting 
hut the green Nordland dress, and the plaited apron.” 

“ I will wear them both, as soon as I am in Norway,” she 
replied. 

“ I will hold you to your word, maiden. You will he an 
ornament of Tromsoe and the fairs.” 

The conversation went on in this gay tone, while Helgestad 
poured out the smoking punch and jested at Marstrand’s 
serious face, which, to his idea, resembled an icefield on the 
Kilpis. 

“ Nuh !” said he, “ I know not what troubles you that is so 
hard to hear. Return to Balsfiord like a man who has his 
pockets full. You have wisely held on to your fish ; you carry 
home a yacht full of goods; your house stands ready and you 
have only to enter and sit down. But I observe,” he continued, 
“ that he is dissatisfied with his loneliness, which is, indeed, 
acceptable to neither God nor man. We must take care of 
him, Hannah, and endeavor to find for him some one who will 
smooth the wrinkles from his brow, and if nothing else succeeds, 
we must invoke the interposition of Afraja with his incanta- 
tions.” 

These remarks of Helgestad aroused Marstrand from his 


AFRAJA. 


243 


silence. For two days he had been divided with himself. 
Lively an interest as he took in his friend’s happiness, and 
heartily as he wished him success, he, nevertheless, felt some 
compunction at the thought of being associated with him in 
his daring scheme. He despised the motives of Helgestad in 
thus procuring a daughter-in-law, and he felt the greatest pity 
for both Bjornarne and Hannah; but his sense of justice pro- 
tested against opposing the man to whom he owed so much. 
With all his distrust of Helgestad, it seemed to him an act of 
the grossest ingratitude, even to thwart evil with evil. He 
would, according to his character, have afforded Hannah every 
assistance, if she had openly resisted Helgestad, as he would 
have supported the son against the father, if Bjornarne had 
solicited him; but it appeared to him to be reducing him- 
self to his level, to deceive the old speculator by a deceitful 
trick. 

“ And yet,” said he, to himself, “ this is the only means of 
defeating Helgestad’s intentions and of uniting the two lovers.” 
Yfhatever might be the consequences, certain it was that he 
would have acted in the same manner, were he situated as 
Heinrick ; and it was equally certain that there was no more 
hope of escape for Hannah after Helgestad had got her to 
Lyngenfiord. He saw the misery which awaited her, and he 
felt himself bound by his promises; yet he was heartily rejoiced 
that Hannah had declined his active assistance, although she 
had assigned him a no less influential part. 

He thus reconciled himself to assist Hannah ; and he was 
thinking how he could entertain Helgestad during the critical 
moment now at hand, when the latter indicated the way, by 
resuming his jesting humor. 

“Afraja,” said he, looking up, “is indeed a man whose 
assistance is desirable. And as we are speaking of him, answer 
me, Herr, a question. What do you think of doing with Gula, 
when your house is empty ?” 

“ Nuh !” answered Helgestad, eyeing him with a cunning 


244 


APR A J A. 


look, “ 1 think she will stay where she is, unless she prefers to 
emigrate to Balsfiord.” 

Marstrand smiled. “ I have lately had a dream,” said he, 
“ which, if Afraja is indeed a sorcerer, was probably sent to 
me by him.” 

“ I would not swear to the contrary,” replied the old man. 
“ Dreams are curious things; they often come into men's minds 
as secret signs, and are sent by a power which nobody knows. 
Let us have the dream, Herr Marstrand.” 

“ I dreamed,” said he, “ that I was living at Balsfiord, well 
established, had much work, but was sitting down under a load 
of care. It had been discovered that all the little valleys around 
were fruitful. Many colonists could settle there. Yet despite 
of all my efforts I could not succeed in rendering the wood on 
the Balself available. It happened that the trees could not be 
carried away from the wilderness. They could not be floated 
over the deep falls of the stream, no saw-mill be put up, and, 
after a series of fruitless efforts, I saw all my labor and money 
spent in vain.” 

“ I can imagine it,” cried Helgestad, with a satirical laugh, 
while he drained his glass. 

“ I found myself in a sad condition,” resumed Marstrand ; 
“ and it appeared to me, in a most wonderful manner, as if I 
saw hands stretched towards me, and heard voices sharply call- 
ing me a fool. The darkness, which was so intense that no 
light could be discerned, suddenly became bright as day, and I 
recognised Afraja standing by my bed, with his little red eyes 
glowing like fire.” 

“ I know them,” said the trader, “ 1 know the thievish eyes 
of the grey lynx.” 

“He grinned at me, and danced around with wonderful 
bounds. 1 You are a wise man, from the great white people 
who think themselves wiser than we/ he cried, in his vehement 
voice ; 1 but I will show you what you must do to convey away 
the trees, and to build a saw-mill.' He led me to a spot where 


AFR A J A. 


245 


he waved a long staff, and instantly a mill, with double wheels, 
arose above the water. Then he pointed to the steep precipice 
below, and I saw a curious fabric of beams, standing upon props, 
which was kept slippery by a spring of water, and down this 
channel the trees were slidden and gathered up, without much 
difficulty, for sawing.” 

Helgestad listened with breathless interest to the narration. 
“It is a remarkably curious dream,” he muttered; “but t 
cannot precisely understand the sorcerer’s plan.” 

“I will explain it to you,” said Marstrand; “for all the 
particulars are so clear to my mind’s eye, that I can sketch 
them for you.” 

“ I am anxious,” said Helgestad, opening the drawer of the 
table, and taking out some writing materials, “to see this 
contrivance of the magician.” 

At the same moment Hannah arose. Marstrand gently 
nodded, and as Helgestad raised his head from the search in 
the drawer, she had slipped out. 

“ Sketch it here,” said the trader ; and Marstrand took the 
pen and drew the rocky valley, the Balself, and the stream in 
the ravine, then the steep precipice, and the ingenious construc- 
tion, which was, indeed, nothing else than a wood-slide, such as 
is everywhere employed in mountainous countries, to send down 
trees from great heights. “ Look here,” he said, in explanation, 
“here the trees are felled, stripped of their limbs, and then 
placed upon this smooth inclined plane, which is kept wet with 
water, that the wood may not be heated. In cold weather it 
freezes, and upon the ice the trees descend with greater velocity 
to the point where the saw-mills must be built. It is evidently 
the best position; for it lies before the falls of the Elf; and 
from here to the fiord the stream presents but few obstacles.” 

Helgestad had leaned over the table, and was regarding the 
drawing with a greedy interest. “ It is right,” he said ; “ I 
calculate it must succeed. It was a wise dream, Herr Mar 
strand, come whence it might.” He raised himself up, and 
21 * 


246 


AFRAJA. 


looked at his companion. “ You are a wise man, and I must 
praise you; you are a true friend, who conceals nothing from 
me. I think so. Is it not so ?” 

“ Certainly, certainly,” replied Marstrand, a little confused. 

“What fell on the deck?” exclaimed the old trader, 
starting up. 

“ I heard nothing,” said Marstrand. 

Ilelgestad was at the door. “ Remain !” he exclaimed ; and 
his eyes assumed a fierce expression. “ You. are heated, and 
you might take cold.” 

“ Let me speak, Herr Helgestad, hear me,” shouted John, 
grasping at his arm ; hut before he could reach him, Niels had 
shut the door to, and turned the key in the lock. 

He quickly sprang up the steps. The sky was covered with 
heavy clouds, the wind moaned through the rigging of the 
yacht, and without, the breakers dashed in fury against the 
cliffs of Silden. Helgestad glided along in the darkness to the 
mast in the middle of the ship, where he stopped ; for, at an 
arm’s-length before him, he discerned a form, to which another 
was closely clinging. 

“Let us hurry, Hannah,” said a manly voice. “The boat 
lies alongside, and the ladder is down ; all is ready.” 

“ I also am ready, my Heinrick,” she replied. “ Oh, eternal 
thanks to heaven, that I have you at last !” 

“ Here,” whispered Dahlen ; “ give me your hand. Has 
Marstrand fast hold on him? May he keep him securely. 
Forbear !” he suddenly cried out, clinching her firmly ; for, in 
the same moment, he felt himself suddenly grasped by some 
one from behind, and raised in the air. Hannah was torn from 
his side, powerful arms held him, in spite of his utmost resist- 
ance. His fingers let go their hold on the bulwarks of the 
yacht, and with a shriek, which was quickly stifled, he sank 
into the dark billowy grave, which closed over him. 

With a jump, Helgestad was at the iron bars around the 
mast He. seized a heavy piece with both hands, and threw it 


AFR A J A. 


247 


with all his might upon the boat beneath. A cracking and 
breaking followed, a cry for help arose from below, and a red 
fire flashed over the sky, illuminating for a moment the black 
water. 

Pieces of the boat floated around, and a pair of oars 
drifted upon the agitated sea. A furious gust of wind followed, 
and an arm, raised above the deep, convulsively clutched at the 
air, and sank again. Helgestad looked at the spectacle with a 
face full of hate, and beaming with satiated vengeance and 
triumph. “ You have met your fate, you fool ! ” be said, with 
a savage roar of laughter. He then turned around. Hannah 
lay, without a sign of life, in the arms of a sailor. 

“ Oho !•” muttered the trader, “ you hold her so fast, that 
you have squeezed the life out of her.” 

11 1 believe so, Herr,” answered the long-haired man. “ She 
does not move a limb.” 

Helgestad took the sleeping body, like a child, in his arms. 
u Call the men,” said he, “ slacken the cable, double-reef the 
sail ; I will return in a moment.” 

He carried Hannah down stairs, pushed the door open, and 
entered. Marstrand sat at the table, with his head buried in 
his hands. When he saw Helgestad, and the pale face of the 
maiden, he sprang up and remained standing, without uttering 
a word. Anxiety and horror closed his mouth. 

Niels laid his burden upon the bench, against the ship’s side. 
“ Take water, rub her hands, Herr, help her, and lay her on 
her bed.” 

“What has happened, what have they done?” asked John, 
hurriedly. 

“ I will tell you, in reward for your trouble,” answered the 
rough man, stroking back his hair, wet with dripping perspira- 
tion. “ Thank God for his gracious aid, Herr. The yacht is 
under sail ; I must be at my post. An inch too much to the 
right or left, and we will have a wet bed below there.” 

He dashed his cap on his head, and, as he went out, closed 


248 


AFR A J A. 


the door with lock and holt. Marstrand leaned over the power- 
less maiden, in embarrassment as to what he should do. There 
was a heavy trampling to and fro on deck; lanterns moved 
about, and loud voices rose above the . noise of the wind and 
waves. 

Suddenly, Hannah opened her eyes, and stared her friend 
in the face. 

“ Speak, maiden, tell me; was Heinrick with you, and 
where is he ?” asked the Dane, with a palpitating heart. 

She gazed upon him with a wandering look; and, as she 
heard the name of her lover, her body shook with a convulsive 
shudder. A scream rang from the inmost depths of her breast ; 
her hands clasped together, as if in prayer ; and she endeavored 
to spring up, but fell back again. 

A whistling and shouting mingled with this scream. The 
yacht plunged, as from a mountain, into the abyss ; her beams 
trembled, the timbers creaked and groaned, heavy blows thun- 
dered against her sides, and the water trickled down through 
the deck. 

The vessel had passed out of the sheltering channel into the 
open sea. 


LIFE AND LOVE 


IN 

NORWAY. 


SECOND PART. 

CHAPTER XI. 

Helgestad’s yaclit ran along the coast of Trondheim, for 
the next two weeks, close by the mountain of the seven sisters, 
which keeps watch at the entrance of Nordland, and the other 
wild and curiously-formed cliffs and insular groups, to which 
the imagination of the Norwegian poets has given name and 
shape. 

It seemed as if the old trader had purchased a good wind, 
and the finest weather, of some sorcerer ) for, from the stormy 
night in which the fair Ilda had sailed around Staatenland, the 
sky had remained blue, and a fresh, favorable breeze from the 
south had urged the ship nearer home. 

June was come, and the further the yacht ran to the north- 
ward, the longer were the days. In the vicinity of the Lofod- 
den, the sun scarcely sunk, any more, below the horizon. It 
described a circle in the heavens, and its beams, on all sides, 
illuminated the high glaciers of the Grimfiord, and the Tinden 
peaks of Salten ; at last, Tromsoe lay before the travellers, and 

( 249 ) 


250 


AFRAJA. 


the church clock was heard in the distance, striking the mid- 
night hour. 

Yet another day and night were passed, before the fair Uda 
steered into the Lyngenfiord. The lofty mountains rose up in 
a long and shining row, and out of their depths the Kilpis 
lifted up its colossal peak, and alone exhibited a glittering bed 
of ice and snow, which gleamed like a collar of diamonds around 
its black neck. The sun, for the first time, lay upon the waves 
to the west. It sank not below, but stood up like a fire-darting 
ball ; and sent out, from this point, its red, glaring light, as if 
it were tired, and would rest, but could not, like a man who 
would gladly close his eyes and sleep, but is prevented by an 
internal fever. 

The midnight sun lighted up the Lyngenfiord, upon which it 
would now shine, without setting, for four entire weeks. If, 
however, the light was not extinguished, there was yet some- 
thing in nature that indicated the missing night. A mysterious 
silence rested upon the wide waters. The wind died away ; the 
swarms of birds sat still upon the cliffs and the rocks in the 
sea, with their heads under their wings. No cry was heard in 
the air that indicated life; none of the great robbers of the 
deep raised their finny backs from the dreamy, motionless sea. 
The yacht, with her loose sails, which now and then flapped 
with a breath of wind, seemed to be moved by spirit hands to 
the Aloen island. The little church of Lyngen next came into 
view, upon the great rock which overhung the fiord. From 
the stone tower a large flag fluttered in the air; and below, in 
the bay, many boats were discernible with colored streamers or 
green branches at their mast-heads. The church upon the hill 
shone bright in the sun-light ; and, from the deck of the yacht, 
the crew looked joyfully upon the scene. The men had thrown 
off their jackets, for it was as warm as the bay of Naples. They 
shook hands, and exchanged wishes of good luck; for rarely 
had a Bergen voyage been accomplished in such a short time ; 
and God had so ordained it that they should return home on 


AFR A J A . 


251 


the very day when the feast of Spring is celebrated in the high 
north ; on the day when the sun, for the first time, does not 
set; when all nature rejoices, when all labor rests, and when 
singing, dancing, and banqueting last as long as human legs 
and strength can hold out. 

But no feast without the Lord, no rejoicing without the 
Christian consecration, no gathering in these wide deserts with- 
out the church and its plot of ground. Therefore lay here the 
many streamer, leaf, and flower-decked boats, which had brought 
the proprietors, with their families and people, from all the 
nooks and corners of great fiord ; therefore waved the flag from 
the spire of the first house of God which had been erected 
more than five hundred years ago in this wilderness, by great 
king Olaf, of holy memory ; therefore, the little church houses 
of the various families stood wide open, and gaily adorned for 
their guests. 

The whole population of the fiord and the islands sat in the 
church, to sing and pray in the holy night, and to praise God, 
and to invoke a good and fruitful year; and then, amid games 
and amusements, to pass the glad hours, to settle disputes, to 
strengthen old friendships, and to form new ones over full 
plates and glasses, until all were satiated with pleasure. 

As the yacht, borne along by the flood tide, reached the 
church, no person was to be seen ; yet the crew, without await- 
ing orders from Helgestad, unlashed the great anchor, and stood 
ready to let go the cable. The old trader stood at the helm, 
and appeared to have surrendered himself to thought. He 
looked earnestly towards the church, among the flags, in quest 
of a boat from Orenaes; and when he descried one, a glad 
smile lit up his hard weather-beaten features. 

“We have come at the very nick of time to join in the 
Spring festival,” said he. “ Let go the anchor. We bring joy 
to joy.” 

The anchor fell, and in the next minute the yacht lay behind 
the boats. With the same celerity the yawl was lowered, the 


252 


AFRA.TA. 


best ladder liung out, and the men hurried aft to put on their 
holiday attire. 

While they were dressing themselves, Helgestad went down 
to the cabin. He stood a moment at the door, listened, and 
then entered with a friendly countenance. Hannah Fandrem 
had just placed the coffee-pot on the table, and Marstrand was 
arranging the cups and saucers. Both were ready dressed, 
which seemed to gratify him. 

“ Nuh !” said he, “ you have everything in order, and you 
are sprucely and gaily attired, maiden. We are laying close 
under the church of Lyngen in the clear sunshine ; but no one 
is to be seen there. I calculate they are all in the church, 
listening to Heinrich Sture’s thanksgiving sermon, which, al- 
though it closes the eyes and ears, opens the hearts.” 

He sat down, took a cup, and poured it full, while he spoke 
on — “The celebration of the July festival is an old custom of 
the heathen times. It would have cost much time and blood 
to procure its abandonment; and the Christian priests could 
never get it transferred to Christmas. More than one king was 
compelled by the peasants to visit the July festival ; and Haken 
the good was obliged to eat there mare’s meat, in honor of Odin 
and Thor, much as it disgusted him. Christians and heathen, 
for many generations, dressed up this meat, and offered it in 
sacrifice on the summer solstice.” 

“Was the July festival in the olden time the Spring feast?” 

“ It was the greatest festival, when men prayed the holy 
Father to be merciful to his children,” said Niels, “and we 
have here preserved it unchanged, except in a Christian sense. 
But let us sit no longer. We must to land and surprise them 
in their prayers. You will see them, Hannah ; no one is want- 
ing, I think. My great boat is lying at the rocks, and carries 
the gay flag, which Gula embroidered last year.” 

He threw off his jacket and put on his blue-lined coat; and 
when Hannah went into the adjoining room, he spoke with 
Marstrand. “ Nuh !” said he ; “ all kinds of distrust have 


AFR A J A. 


253 


entered your head ; you have become moody and melancholy. 
There should be no misunderstanding between us. I offer you 
my hand, Herr; let all between us be as it was. I esteem you 
as a man who knows how to explain his purposes; but you, 
also, must esteem what I calculate aright ; put reckoning against 
reckoning, and take word and hand upon it, that Niels Helge- 
stad will remain, as he has promised you, your friend and 
helper.” 

Marstrand accepted the proffered hand. “I thank you, 
Herr,” he replied; “I have no disposition to break the peace 
between us.” 

“ I think you must be glad to be here to-day. You will find 
all the maidens gathered together at the church. You have 
only to cast your net to catch the best among them.” 

Marstrand smiled, while he shook his head ; but Helgestad 
continued, in a confidential tone. “ Look around you, and fas- 
ten a ribbon on the wings of her who pleases you most. It is 
a primitive custom to form acquaintances at the July festival, 
to be succeeded by marriage. I hope your house at Balsfiord 
is ready by this time. In a few days, I will carry your goods 
there and see what further is to be done. Now, forward ! 
Here comes Hannah, modest and pretty, in her lawn dress and 
plaited apron; and they are calling to us from the yawl; they 
can wait no longer.” 

He put on his cocked-hat, tied a silk neckerchief around his 
throat, and led Hannah and Marstrand to the boat in waiting. 
With a few pulls, she flew to the stone landing at the foot of 
the shore steps, and returned to the ship to bring' on shore 
the whole crew. 

Hannah hastily mounted to the platform above, followed by 
Marstrand; but Helgestad was at some distance behind when 
they had both overcome the ascent. 

“Nuh!” he muttered, looking up and observing her, “she 
is indeed no dove, that will take food from everybody’s hand. 
She looks at me like a stone statue, or as one of those Nornes 
22 


254 


AFRA JA. 


of whom the old Sagas speak, which sing to men their destiny. 
No finger of hers, I imagine, will do me harm. I have her 
now where I have long desired, and she shall no more escape.” 

He nodded to her, and thought that her large and imposing 
figure would please Bjornarne. In her gay, festive attire, 
Ilelgestad was in doubt which was the fairer — his own Ilda, or 
his destined daughter-in-law. 

As the sun rose upon the horizon, Hannah folded her hands 
and gazed over the fiord and the distant sea. 

“ How sweet and peaceful is this tranquillity ! it almost sub- 
dues my benumbed soul to tears.” 

“ Marstrand added, in a soft voice, “ Wherever man may 
wander, and with whatever sorrows God visits him, he sends, 
also, the atoning angel with the command, 1 Place your ven- 
geance in my hands and obey my commandments/ ” 

“ Certainly, I will obey ;” she said, in a firm tone. “ There 
comes the most horrible of men, the sight of whom I could not 
endure, if the voice of which you speak did not order me to 
follow him. I will follow him, and wait upon his nod as pa- 
tiently as a maidservant. He will and shall have me.” 

“That cannot be, Hannah,” exclaimed her companion. 
“ You must return to your father. Helgestad himself could 
not resist the energetic remonstrances I would make in your 
behalf.” 

“Neither a father nor a home await me,” was her answer. 
“Where could I live? Where is my future? my hopes ? He 
whom I must now trust took from me all that I held dear. The 
black worm which he has planted in my heart winds around to 
my very feet. I have formed a compact with him which no 
one shall ever dissolve. I have sworn it with a thousand oaths, 
that as long as I live I will live for his sake. I will never se- 
parate from him, and will bring as much happiness and joy to 
his house as I can, under the assistance of heaven.” 

Her eyes glowed with an expression of the deadliest hatred, 


A P R A J A . 255 

while her lips smiled and her countenance beamed with a sunny 
glance. 

At this moment, a soft hymn sounded from the interior of 
the little church : 

u Oh ! Lord, take from us all sin, and, after thy image, en- 
able us to bear all things with patience.” 

The holy stillness of nature appeared to be filled with the 
inspiration of heaven. There it expanded in all its boundless 
grandeur. The gigantic mass of mountains, enveloped in a 
roseate glow, with their peaks stretching into the invisible 
depths of the blue heaven above, looked like a guardian bar- 
rier around this consecrated ground ; while the fresh green of 
the earth, the bursted foliage of the trees, the broad-expanding 
fiord, with its tranquil waters, the islands sleeping in the warm 
sun, and the pacified surface of the dimly-visible sea, spoke of 
the return of summer with its pleasures, and of the beneficence 
of God. 

Helgestad lingered yet awhile, bared his head, and folded 
his hands in prayer. The yellow-greyish hair fell over his 
shoulders, and the spirit of devotion seemed to soften his hard 
features. The strong man, with all his cunning and audacity, 
bowed his soul before an invisible power, and in a subdued 
tone, said, u I thank thee, gracious God, that thou hast preserved 
me from all danger, and restored me to this spot. I thank thee 
with all my heart, and will faithfully strive, as a man and a 
Christian, to walk in thy ways, that I may present myself before 
thee, just judge, without fear.” 

He looked askance at Hannah, who was motionlessly regard- 
4ng him, and said aloud to Marstrand, “ In my whole lifetime 
I have seen nothing more beautiful thau this blessed morning. 
It is a holy feast, when we should put off the old Adam and 
open our hearts to goodness. Let us enter the porch and praise 
God. It is a long hymn they are singing, but we can, in the 
meanwhile, look within, without entering. I expect my good 
friend, Heinrick Sture, has no breath left, and will suffer from 


256 


AFRAJA. 


hoarseness the next week, unless the rich offering works wonders 
upon him.” 

From this unholy jesting, it was evident that the evil spirit 
had returned to Helgestad. He opened the low door and entered 
the dark space behind the screen. From here, he could see the 
congregation and the parson ; he rapidly scanned the thickly- 
crowded mass, fixed his eyes upon his own seat, and frowned as 
he observed the silver-haired Klaus Hornemann officiating in 
the pulpit, instead of the stout red-faced pastor of Lyngenfiord. 
Then he looked around the assembly, which was composed of 
many well-known faces, in some of which a visible impatience was 
depicted, to see the ceremony at an end, and to escape into the 
open air ; while others appeared deeply engrossed in, and moved 
by the service. Helgestad, for some time, looked quietly upon 
his children, who sat together, before he pointed them out. By 
Ilda’s side was the red head of the secretary ; behin’d them the 
tall form of Olaf loomed up; and next to Bjornarne, a man was 
seated, the sight of whom drew from Helgestad a loud grunt. 
It was no other than the Voigt of Tromsoe, in person. The 
heavy face, with the small, forbidding eyes, the fiery nose, and 
double chin, belonged to him alone. Helgestad appeared un- 
decided whether to be pleased or vexed at the presence of this 
worthy chief magistrate of Finnmark. He had intentionally 
passed by Tromsoe, upon his return, without touching there, 
for the purpose of avoiding the voigt; now he sat here before 
him, and had unquestionably not been drawn thither for slight 
reasons. 

From Helgestad’s countenance it was clear that he was de- 
bating his course of conduct; but at last, his inspection termi- 
nated with a satisfied u Nuh !” Hannah had been regarding the 
brother and sister, and she fixed her attention on Bjornarne, 
who seemed to disappoint her expectations. When she had 
known him in times past, he was a frolicksome young man, with 
a fresh color, and clear, merry, glancing eyes ; now he seemed 
to be a grave, reflecting man. He sat with his head bowed 


APRAJA. 


257 


clown, his eyes upon the ground, and his lips compressed, as if 
he were absorbed in some serious meditation. Ilda sang from 
the same book with her betrothed ; but Paul Petersen’s crafty 
eyes were incessantly in motion, and the first sight of him pro- 
duced an unfavorable impression on Fandrem’s daughter. 
Ilda’s clear, arched brow, her tranquil countenance, and its 
soft smile, and her religious fervor, excited Hannah’s keenest 
sympathy. As she looked around the meeting, she could dis- 
cover no one that could be compared with Ilda. Marstrand had 
occasionally spoken of her. He had not described her as 
beautiful, but had praised her understanding, her mild disposi- 
tion, and the goodness of her heart. Hannah now admitted 
that Helgestad had truly spoken of her as the flower of the 
fiord. And should this flower be wasted upon the ugly secre- 
tary with- the mean face ? A presentiment assured her that 
Ilda must be near to her — that her fate must be like her own ; 
that it was impossible she could love him who was forced upon 
her; and she felt a longing for a confidential friend, who, full 
of her own misery, could sympathise with her’s, and console 
and advise with her. 

In the meanwhile, the hymn was ended, and Klaus Ilorne- 
mann pronounced the blessing : as soon as the audience rose, 
and descried old Helgestad, they called out to him with term3 
of hearty welcome. 

“ Nuh 1” exclaimed the trader, u here I am, friends and 
neighbors ! I have offered my thanks to Hod, from the outside 
here, and I bring you good news from Bergen. Fish is greatly 
risen in price, and is going up, from week to week. It will 
reach four spezies and more ; but now let me see my children, 
for I have been long separated from them.”* 

With Ilda hanging on his arm, and holding his son by the 
hand, he went out in the clear sunshine. All wished to shake 
hands, and speak with him. Those who knew Marstrand, 
pressed upon him with inquiries and good wishes. Shouts and 
hurrahs hailed the crew of the yacht, as they clambered up tho 
22 * 


R 


258 


AFRAJA. 


rocks ; and it was some time before Helgestad could free his 
church cottage from the curious crowd, and form within it a 
circle of his friends and children, to whom he presented Han- 
nah, with appropriate remarks. 

He did not, indeed, say what his particular intention was — > 
but everyone could imagine it. “Hannah,” said he, “wished to 
see the country of her mother, and it had required great pains 
to induce Fandrem to part with her for a couple of months; 
and Bjornarne was to take her back.” From this, every one in- 
ferred what seemed best. The rich merchant in Bergen was 
well known, as well as the relation in which Helgestad 
stood to him. No one also doubted that the crafty old Niels 
had brought his daughter-in-law with him, that she might be- 
come acquainted with his wealth, and her destined spouse. It 
could not fail, but that envy and suspicion should arise from 
all these speculations ; but where did not the like always occur, 
under similar circumstances ! Hannah was friendly received, 
and Ilda went arm in arm with her among her female friends, 
to withdraw from the men, among whom Helgestad’s observa- 
tions had excited no little jest and laughter. Marstrand, during 
these proceedings, had been taken in charge by Olaf, who had 
much to tell him of his new settlement ; and with all the honest 
heartiness of his character, he gave vent to his joy at seeing 
him again at Lyngenfiord. How widely this differed from his 
reception by Ilda and Bjornarne. The maiden had given him 
her hand, and bade him welcome in a few cold words; but 
Bjornarne had hardly done as much, for he averted his eyes 
from him, and grumbled out something which sounded like a 
greeting. The chilliness of this reception offended the young 
man. Around was universal joy and gladness ; groups of young 
people lay reclining upon the green grass; provisions of all 
kinds were brought out of the cottages; busy maidens and 
women hurried about with cups and cans, and fire flashed up 
between stones, where it had been kindled for cooking. Games 
and dances were arranged, fresh twigs waved from the hats and 




A F R A J A . 


259 


caps, songs were sung, and many families, whom Marstrand 
scarcely knew, saluted him with kind looks and words, and in- 
vited him to celebrate the happy day with them. 

All his self-possession was necessary to conceal his feelings, 
and properly to respond to their cheerful acts of kindness. Olaf 
withdrew him from the crowd, and clapping him on the shoul- 
der, while he looked in his face, said, “ The journey has not 
been of particular benefit to you, friend John ; you are, indeed, 
grown browner and stouter, but you have wrinkles on your 
brow, and you look as if a heavy weight of care lay upon your 
heart.” 

“ Should I not have care, Olaf, seeing what lies before me V* 

“ You have a hard work to accomplish, but you are a ready 
man. Your house is prepared, and Helgestad can land your 
goods from his yacht, at the very threshold. It is true, I 
would not like to be in your place ; and I have always thought 
you might do better elsewhere, than in attempting to make 
money out of the wood, in Balself ravine.” 

Marstrand paused at this honest confession, until he pressed 
the hand of Olaf in a sympathising tone ; and continued, “ So 
you have given up your hopes, my friend ?” 

“ I must be gone,” said Olaf. “ You would not have met 
me here again, had I not promised Helgestad to assist Bjor- 
narne ; and if I had not promised you, to take care of your in- 
terests, and — if I were not a fool,” he exclaimed in a stronger 
tone, while he struck himself on the head, with a smile at his 
burst of temper. 

“Were all folly like yours, good Olaf, nobody would com- 
plain of it.” 

“And if all blessed me, what good would it do me, if one 
was wanting. There has been much change since you were 
here, friend John. Looji at Miss Ilda; you will not observe 
what my eye sees, and you will not know what her voice says 
to me, and how well she knows how to conceal her wishes.” 


2G0 


A F 11 A J A . 


“ What docs she say to you ?” said Marstrand, walking oil 
with him. 

“ That it is dark in her — here,” muttered the Nordlander, 
laying his hand on his breast. 

“ She was always taciturn,” he continued, as his companion 
made no reply; “ but as a star does not speak, but shines — so 
formerly spoke her face, so beamed her eyes. Now the lustre 
has faded from her eyes ; I hear her voice, and it grieves me ; 
I look at her, and sadness rests upon her brow like a winter 
cloud on the mountains.” 

“ Probably she is sick,” added Marstrand. 

“ You understand it not, because you do not feel it,” re- 
plied Olaf, impatiently. “ No one, but I, seems to observe it. 
She is the same as ever — all her conduct is as sensible and 
good ; she speaks as formerly, but yet I know that she is not 
what she once was.” 

“And what do you think of it?” 

“ See, there sits the Yoigt of Tromsoe ; he lays his hand on 
Helgestad’s shoulder, and whispers in his ear. Look at the 
birch grove, and observe the secretary how he walks with Ilda ; 
how he presses her hand in his, and endeavors to please the 
maiden who came with you from Bergen. There is no woman 
whom he cannot please — no man whom he would not deceive. 
The ugly, avaricious scoundrel has a thousand vices: he has 
neither honesty, nor truth ; and yet he will place the ring on 
Ilda’s finger, and before the winter comes she will follow him 
to Tromsoe. Look how the old fellows shake hands ; they have 
agreed upon the contract.” 

“Bo you think that this is the cause of Ilda’s sorrow?” said 
Marstrand. 

“ What else could it be ? Bo you suppose that Ilda does not 
know the hypocritical secretary ? Boes she not know that he is 
made up of cheats and lies ? Never would a finger of hers touch 
him, if it could be avoided. So says her eye, when she looks 


A PR A J A. 261 

on me ; thus speaks her voice, when she pronounces my name ; 
this I read in every action.” 

Marstrand gazed in silence upon his friend, who continued ; 
“You now comprehend why I do not go away; although she 
herself yesterday said I must depart from here, for my property 
at Bodoen, where my old mother pines for me.” 

“And Bjornarne ?” asked Marstrand, with hesitation; “havo 
you not spoken with him of Ilda ?” 

“No,” replied Olaf. “Bjornarne cannot help matters; he 
is, as Ilda, a submissive child ; and he himself is tormented by 
certain caprices of his own.” 

“We bring a wife for him, for whom he will abandon them 
all,” interrupted Marstrand. 

“I know not,” replied Olaf; “it may be good for him, and 
restore his spirits. He returned a week since from an expedi- 
tion which he made with me, and several others, through the 
Yauren as far as the Kilpis.” 

To the inquiring stare of his companion, Olaf indifferently 
replied ; “ That is also a novelty which you should be informed 
of. The Lapland maiden, little Grula, has run off, or fallen in 
a ravine, or in some other manner been lost.” 

“ Grula !” said Marstrand. “ Did you not find her ?” 

“Not a trace of her. Bjornarne believed she had been 
stolen, Paul Petersen said she was in love, and Ilda wept like a 
child. Thereupon I resolved to go in search of the Lapland 
maiden, and ran over the swamps until we found her father, in 
the Kilpis-jauren, with his herds.” 

“Was she not with him?” 

“ If the old rascal does not dissemble, like a Christian, he 
knew nothing of her. He swore a thousand oaths, by Jubinal 
and Pekel, that his eye had not seen her, accompanied with 
some terrible curses for our particular benefit.” 

“ Poor maiden ! Poor Gula !” said the Dane, in a subdued 


262 


AFRAJA. 


tone. “If I bad been here, your fate would not have been so 
sad !” 

Olaf shook his head. “ You could not have done more, or 
be sadder, than Bjornarne. The maiden was for a long time 
very melancholy, and it actually seemed as if what Paul Peter- 
sen said was true, that the little witch had gone mad with 
love.” 

Their conversation was interrupted by Helgestad, who called 
to Marstrand, and, as he approached, said to him, “I see 
you have already heard the news. Nuh ! may she run and milk 
reindeer, or brew devil’s drinks with the old villain, and, as far 
as I am concerned, lie in the swamps till the last day. I will 
not trouble myself about it on this festive morning. Sit down 
with us, Herr Marstrand, and give the voigt your hand. I 
calculate you must thank him, and receive Paul Petersen with 
a friendly countenance, for they have both united to serve 
you.” 

The voigt had, in the meantime, arisen, and advanced a few 
steps towards Marstrand. His blue coat, with standing collar 
and embroidery, announced the dignitary; the little three- 
cornered hat sat majestically upon his fiery brow, and buckled 
breeches of black velvet, and long, shining boots, together with 
a Spanish gold-headed cane, completed his imposing costume. 
In his younger days, the voigt had been an officer in the army, 
and yet wore a cross and ribbon in his button-hole; his carriage 
was erect, like that of a soldier, and his grey eyes were 
expressive of energy and firmness of character. 

“You are welcome, Herr Baron ; I have long looked forward 
to this agreeable meeting,” he said, lifting his hat. “ I have 
waited for you in vain in Tromsoe, and have at last resolved to 
come in person, and offer you my respects.” 

Marstrand excused himself, and expressed his thanks. The 
voigt held his hand firmly, and obliged him to sit alongside of 
him, reaching him a full glass, and drinking to his prosperity. 
He next took from his pocket-book a paper, regularly drawn 


AFRAJ A. 


263 


up, with seal and signature, by virtue of which the valley of 
Balsfiordelf, the adjoining valleys on both sides, together with 
a considerable extent of shore, was granted to him forever, 
including the island of Strommen, near the coast of Tromsoe. 
This he handed to Marstrand, who could not refrain from 
expressing his warmest thanks for the complete and exact 
manner in which the document was drawn up. 

“ Is all arranged to your satisfaction ?” asked the voigt. 

“ This act contains more than I had any reason to expect. 
The property is greater than I wished,” said Marstrand. 

11 It is not too large, if well managed,” answered the magistrate. 
u The king has here yet much more to give away, which, in 
good hands, would redound to the benefit of the country. For 
this purpose am I here, to seek out the worthy, and to take 
care that it is not wasted among beggars and vagabonds. I 
have not inquired, Herr Baron, if the allotment were too large, 
but I have given what was advisable.” 

u You have bountifully fulfilled my wishes ; and now oblige 
me further, by calling me simply by my name. I left the Baron 
in Copenhagen, when I put off my laced coat ; here, in my new 
country, I am John Marstrand, the trader of Balselfgaard, and 
will so remain ; and, by the blessing of God, I hope to be of 
service to my fellow-countrymen.” 

“Nuh!” cried Helgestad, “ bravely spoken, and may you 
prosper, Herr Marstrand.” 

The voigt gave an assenting nod, and glass after glass fol- 
lowed, accompanied with good admonitions, hints, and sayings. 
They sat in the shade of the gently waving birch trees. The 
sun rose higher in the firmament, and before them was spread 
an animated scene, on the green-sward before the church. The 
young men and maidens gathered together on a smooth, level 
piece of ground to dance ; in other places, groups were engaged 
in throwing heavy stones at a mark ; and further on, there was 
firing with guns at the painted head of a bear as a target, for a 
prize. There were trials of strength, running and leaping 


264 


AFRAJA. 


matches, accompanied with plauditory clapping of the hands for 
the victors, and mocking roars of laughter for the vanquished. 
While the multitude were thus variously engaged, single couples 
were occasionally seen stealing off to retired nooks ; for, as Hel- 
gestad had said, at this feast many tender declarations were 
made and future resolutions of matrimony formed. 

The voigt, after a pause, raised his stick and pointed to the 
side of the church, where he saw his nephew with Ilda; Han- 
nah and Bjornarne standing in the midst of the circle which 
surrounded the old parson. 

“ You must know, Herr Marstrand,” said he, “that it is a 
fine old custom to call out the bridal pair on this holiday to he 
blessed by the minister. I have just been talking with Hel- 
gestad of this. My nephew Paul, and Miss Ilda, could thus 
calm the agitation of their hearts. A more handsome and 
stately pair I have never seen than they are. Do you not say 
so yourself?” 

“ I wish them all possible happiness,” responded Marstrand. 

“Paul is your friend,” continued the voigt; “a truer one 
you could not have, Herr. I must inform you that I was pre- 
vailed upon by his praise of you and his arguments, to grant 
the deed of possession without any further delay. He himself 
drew up the writing, studying it point, by point, and arranged 
it in such exact terms that it can never be questioned.” 

Marstrand returned his thanks ; the voigt gave a cunning 
wink to Helgestad, and clapped the Dane upon the shoulder. 
“I thank you, hea vily,” he said. “A word is a cheap thing, 
but I know how you could render a valuable service to Hel- 
gestad’s house.” 

“ What do you mean ?” asked Marstrand. 

“ What do I mean ?” said the voigt. “ I mean that it would 
be a fine thing if we could have Bjornarne, also, blessed to-day. 
All are here on the spot, bridegroom, bride, and parson ; a few 
minutes might accomplish what may otherwise be spun out for 
months.” 


APRAJA. 


205 


Marstrand shrank back. And what can I do in such an 
affair ?” he asked. 

“ Speak a proper word with Fandrem’s daughter. You can 
set her right ; show her the way to make her father, Helges- 
tad, Bjornarne, and all of us, happy. You alone can do this, 
Herr. I have heard of the confidence which she so justly 
entertains towards you ; so go to Hannah as she stands alone 
there now, and persuade her to do her duty.” 

The young man observed Helgestad, with a dark, inquiring, 
and almost threatening look, as he sat listening with apparent 
indifference, his legs crossed, and with a Holland pipe in his 
mouth. 

“ I calculate,” said he, as the voigt ceased speaking, “ it is 
good advice, and you will cheerfully acknowledge it as such, Herr 
Marstrand. Speak with Hannah ; if there is any one who un- 
derstands her, it is you. I observed that she took Bjornarne 
by the hand, as Ilda presented him to her, and there was some- 
thing in her eyes and bearing expressive rather of satisfaction 
than aversion.” 

“ Ha ! ha!” exclaimed the voigt, laughing; “no maiden 
could look on such a spruce fellow like Bjornarne but with 
pleasure.” 

“ Could you expect a promise of marriage from her on this 
day, when they have scarcely seen each other ?” 

“Nuh !” said Helgestad, sullenly; “you know, as well as I, 
that it must take place sooner or later. Long reflection is of 
no service to such a maiden. Everything to-day wears a cheer- 
ful aspect. A half dozen of young couples will celebrate it 
with pledges of love. To her all is new, and she rejoices in 
the land and the people, in the sunshine. I see that her heart 
is glad, for this is the native country of her mother, where she 
often danced and sported. — I calculate, therefore, she will not 
say ‘ no/ if you address her properly. It is a speculation, Herr 
Marstrand, which, like all others, has its peculiar hour, of which 
23 


266 


A F B A J A . 


advantage must be taken. You must bring us back her consent, 
Herr Marstrand.” 

It seemed to Marstrand that he could not refuse. He arose, 
and declared that he would do all in his power to bring about a 
successful result. 

When he had left, the red face of the voigt contracted into a 
frown of deep scorn. “ It seems to me that the fellow takes 
no pleasure in serving you. Get rid of him as soon as you 
can.” 

Helgestad made no other movement than to pour out a new 
glass. “ I am nevertheless of the opinion,” said he, “ that he 
will do his best. He is cool and clear-headed, and knows that 
I can crush him with my finger. She cannot go back to old 
Fandrem ; her heart, as she called her lover, lies in the depths 
of the sea of Staatenland; and now this or that one, Bjornarne 
or Olaf, are all alike the same to her.” 

“ A woman without a heart is a curious thing,” said the 
voigt, laughing ; “ for they have generally too much of it. You 
cured her for ever, Niels, in the night at Silden. Are you 
certain, however, that the Danish robber and his associates did 
not escape ?” 

“ I am sure of it,” muttered Helgestad. “ The cliffs there 
are a hundred feet high, which no human foot can climb. I 
hear yet the crash, as the boat broke in pieces, and the cry of 
the drowning men, which, curious as it may appear, Paulsen, 
frequently resounds in my ears.” 

“Does it frighten you?” asked the voigt, jeeringly. 

Helgestad looked at him moodily. 

“ No law can ever lay a finger upon you,” resumed Paulsen. 
u You found robbers upon your deck in the foggy night, and 
you threw them overboard. The less said upon the subject, 
however, the better.” 

“ No one knows of it but you and Ilelge, my helmsman, and 
he will not speak of it.” 

“ I hope it may turn out so. The morning after this event, 


A FRA J A. 


267 


when you again stood before the maiden, must have been a glad 
one !” 

“ I did not see her for the three following days. She lay in 
her chamber, as if dead, and no one came near her but Mar- 
strand.” 

“And then?” asked Paulsen. 

“And then she made her appearance, and I gave her my 
hand. There was no allusion made to that night, and nothing 
shall ever be said of it between us.” 

“ Has she not attempted it ?” 

“She has not,” responded Helgestad. “I saw that her 
heart was consuming with grief ) I did all that I could to show 
her that I would make it up to her.” 

The voigt replied in a bantering tone, “ You are an excellent 
father, Niels. You have a mild, conciliatory disposition. But 
I understand it all, cunning old fellow ; there is less question 
of the feelings and wishes of the girl than of the connection 
of Fandrem and the rich inheritance. I would never, however, 
forgive the Dane for his interposition in the affair.” 

“ His hour will come,” muttered Helgestad. 

“ I believe it ; and it will be a good hour. You have him 
already in your hands, and must not let him run too long. 
Paul thinks the sooner the threads are torn the better, lest he 
may have time to fasten them together again.” 

Helgestad made no reply, for at this moment he saw Mar- 
strand advancing, and leading Hannah Fandrem by the hand. 

“ I will bring my answer in person,” said Hannah, as she 
stood before him. “ Herr Marstrand has made known to me 
your wishes, cousin, and it needed no long persuasion. If it 
will give you pleasure to have me declare myself to-day your 
son’s bride, I am ready to gratify you. If Bjornarne will ask 
me, as it is seeming, I will yield to his prayers.” 

“ Will you, girl of my heart, do so ? Will you enter Ore- 
naes Gaard as my daughter ? — Call Bjornarne here ; he shall fall 
upon his knees and kiss your hands. Call him hither, and old 


268 


AFRAJA. 


Klaus also. Bring Ilda and Paul, and all of them. There 
shall be such a wedding at Lyngenfiord, that it shall be talked 
of, for fifty years to come, in every cottage in Finnmark.” 

Ilelgestad was in such an extraordinary state of excitement, 
that the voigt looked at him with surprise, and in doubt as to 
whether it were true or false. Several, who were in the vicinity, 
drew near; and there was no little agitation when they learned 
the cause of their neighbor’s clamorous rejoicing. Good wishes 
were offered on all sides ; and next, two young men appeared, 
leading Bjornarne by the arm, who, while shooting at a mark, 
and with his gun yet in hand, was suddenly dragged off by his 
merry friends, without any explanation of their object. 

“Come here, Bjornarne,” his father shouted to him, “and 
throw aside the gun ; for another kind of game is awaiting you. 
You shall shoot directly to the heart, without powder or lead. 
I calculate you understand the art. See, here is Hannah, who 
has no objections to go with you to Klaus Hornemann. Null ! 
you fool; are you changed to stone for joy? Take hold of her; 
she is of flesh and blood ; fall down ; she will raise you up.” 

Helgestad was not wrong in comparing his son to a stone ; 
for Bjornarne seemed to be paralyzed with astonishment. For 
some minutes he was of a deadly paleness ; then his whole face 
glowed with a dark red ; his gun fell from his hand, and his 
eyes wandered despairingly around. The paternal authority 
obtained a quick victory over his rebellious feelings ; for, at the 
last words of Helgestad, he made a movement as if he wished 
to bend his knee. 

“Dear Bjornarne,” said Hannah, taking him by the hand, 
“ it is our parents’ desire that we should belong to each other, 
and this is not the beginning of our acquaintance. Years ago, 
in our childhood, we saw each other, and, as I think, you 
loved me.” 

“It is a fact,” interrupted Helgestad; “is it not so, 
Bjornarne? For years you have desired to see Hannah in 
Gaard von Orenaes. Your wishes arc now fulfilled. Look in 


AFRAJA. 


269 


her eyes, and hill upon her neck. Lay aside this bashfulness, 
and tell Klaus Ilornemann yourself there, what you want of 
him.” 

Marstrand was not a witness of the last part of this scene, 
around which a large circle of spectators had gathered, who 
raised a loud shout as Bjornarne, in obedience to the injunc- 
tion, kissed Hannah, and stammered out some words. While 
Ilda and her near relatives were mingling in the expression of 
good wishes and in the embracings, Marstrand withdrew to 
meet the parson. 

“I am glad to see you back again, dear friend,” said the 
latter. “ A hearty welcome, after your journey, of which you 
will have, no doubt, much to relate to us. And what is going 
on there ? Has John Marstrand brought a pretty young lady 
with him from Bergen ?” 

“ Not for myself, worthy Herr,” interrupted Marstrand. 
“ She is Fandrem’s daughter, and is destined for Bjornarne. 
Prevent the betrothal, I beg you, from taking place here to-day.” 

“ And wherefore ?” inquired the pastor. Is the maiden con- 
strained to this match ?” 

“Not that,” answered Marstrand; “she is ready for it, but 
Bjornarne” he speechlessly gazed before him. 

Ilornemann shook his head. “ The pastor of Lyngenfiord, 
Heinrick Sture, is sick, and I am administering his office ; and 
that commands me to bless the couple who present themselves 
to me. Bjornarne does right in giving his hand to this virtu- 
ous maiden, and in complying with his father’s will. The 
friends of this young man should not oppose what tends to his 
happiness.” 

“ Can he be happy,” replied Marstrand, impressively, “ who, 
pallid and confused, says yes? They know not what I know; 
they are ignorant of what has happened, and in what manner 
this happy pair have come together, and what Helgestad has 
done to bring about their meeting.” 

“ I do not believe that this is the worst act of his life,” said 

23 * 


270 


AJFR A J A . 


Ilornemann. “ Her heart may suffer from it; but remember 
my young friend, what I once said to you of the customs of 
this country. Children here follow the commands of theit 
parents ; this is a stringent and inviolable law. Have you not 
thought of this while you were in the travelling intimacy of 
this bride of another ?' ; 

“Rest assured/' said Marstrand, blushing, “that I have 
entertained no forbidden desires for Hannah, and that I am 
not interested in any degree in her marriage." 

“ And if this be so," replied the pastor, “ what induces you 
to raise objections?" 

“ My sympathy for both, and my fear of evil." 

“ Curious," said Hornemann ; “ could you not inform me 
upon what this fear is based ?" 

“ No, not now, nor here," said Marstrand ; “ I have promised 
Hannah to be silent. But do you prevent this precipitate 
betrothment." 

“ Hither with the pastor, hither !" was heard Helgestad’s 
voice exclaiming. “ I think no one has a greater longing after 
him than we." Leading Hannah by one hand, and Ilda by 
the other, and followed by Paul Petersen and Bjornarne, he 
strode out of the circle, with the voigt at the head, amid the 
applauding shouts of the bystanders. 

“ I can neither change nor prevent anything, Herr Mar- 
strand; but I can wish that God may give you as much joy 
and resignation as I perceive in the faces of this young 
couple." 

“ Amen !" murmured Marstrand to himself, as he turned 
away. 

“ Forward, music ! and let us have the best piece you can 
play," cried Ilelgestad. “ Then three times round the church 
in procession, according to the old custom. And now, Klaus 
Hornemann, take them and conclude the compact, that it may 
never be broken." 

“ Is it so, my dear children ?" said the old man. “Will you 


APR A J A. 271 

in joy and sorrow, cleave to each other, and truly adhere to 
what your hearts in this hour promise V* 

He looked at Hannah, who stood smiling by the side of 
Bjornarne. “Yes,” she said, with an amiable inclination of 
the head; and Ilda also pronounced her “yes,” but without 
changing a feature of her face. 

“ Come, then,” said Hornemann ; and the bridal pairs 
arranged themselves, with their relatives and friends surround- 
ing them; the music sounded, and wreaths of fresh spring 
flowers were placed upon the hair of the young maidens. In 
the first hour of the morning, with the clear beaming sun over 
head, Klaus Hornemann pronounced the blessing of heaven 
upon the betrothed. 


CHAPTER XII. 

The next day, the Gaard von Orenaes was full of guests 
and activity. The voigt was there, and wished to remain a 
few days, in order to return to Tromsoe with Hclgestad; for 
the old trader had resolved to proceed immediately to Lofodden, 
and to carry the fish himself to Bergen. All had gone off so 
quickly and so well, that he must communicate the result in 
person to Fandrem, and at the same time secure the dowry; 
and upon his return, the marriage would take place. He had 
now pushed the affair so far, that Hannah could not again leave 
Lyngenfiord but with Bjornarne, and as his wife. 

The maiden conducted herself to his satisfaction. She had 
scarcely got warm in her new nest, when she acted as a bird 
long accustomed to it. She assisted Ilda in all her domestic 
labors, was to be found in the kitchen and store-room, stood in 
the shop, weighed and measured, and scanned the account- 


272 


APRAJA. 


books, as if she had managed them for years. Her fine clothes, 
ornaments and rings were laid aside, and she was kindly and 
active ; not like Gula, who jumped about, singing and laughing; 
but all her actions were regulated by good sense and discretion, 
and every one in the house spoke well of her. Paul Petersen 
only appeared not to be particularly pleased with his sister-in- 
law, for he found her a very different person from what he had 
anticipated. He had taken her for an indolent, supercilious 
maiden, who would not suit her new position, or for a young 
girl with a heart full of grief and eyes swimming with tears, or 
a conceited and arrogant person, likely to call forth Helgestad’ s 
anger and severity ; to his astonishment, he beheld the rough 
man full of tenderness and affection to his daughter-in-law, who 
sought to win his approbation by all the efforts in her power. 
Paul Petersen’s brain was sadly disturbed. When he was 
gone, and lived with Ilda in Tromsoe, and Hannah managed 
Helgestad and everything to her own liking, what might not 
happen ? His eager eyes already saw how nimbly she plied 
her fingers, and how her kindly looks and smiles were observed 
and appreciated by her father-in-law, as if he himself would 
marry the sly and pernicious witch; as for Bjornarne, he wan- 
dered about like a dreamer, and spoke to her only when encou- 
raged by others. For these reasons, Paul felt a strong 
prejudice against Hannah, which was evidently reciprocated on 
her part. 

Paul Petersen at first employed humility and hypocrisy ; but 
he soon saw, from Hannah’s looks, how little he recommended 
himself by these arts; he next tried raillery, but Fandrem’s 
daughter had so much wit and malice, that he always suffered 
in the encounter. He was jeered, reproved, and laughed at; 
and when he showed a desire to make peace, Hannah would 
not consent, but she prosecuted the war with the more earnest- 
ness, to the great delight of Helgestad and Olaf, who were 
both glad to see the secretary paid off in his own coin. 

In the meanwhile, the yacht had discharged the articles that 


AffRAJA. 


273 


belonged to Orenacs, but a great number of other materials 
and goods were put on board, which Marstrand bought of 
Helgestad, in order to provide himself fully for the exigencies 
of his new settlement. His house stood ready for him at 
Balsfiord, and all had been done for him that was possible ) but 
he must now go to work with his own hands. Helgestad 
reckoned with him for two days ; everything was delivered to 
him, the lists examined, and his whole indebtedness amounted 
to ten thousand specie dollars, inclusive of the money borrowed 
of Fandrem. 

Helgestad was to sell the fish at Lofodden, and to deduct the 
product from the account, but it was plain that this would not 
cover half the debt. 

“ Nuh,” said Helgestad, u it is always a gallant beginning, 
which does not fall to the lot of every one ; your main reliance 
is the wood on the Balself ; and from that, with your good 
head, you ought to realise your most sanguine wishes.” 

He opened a huge chest of iron, and pointed to six great 
leather bags. “ Here,” continued he, u are six thousand 
spezies, which are now at your service. They are all correctly 
counted, for which I will be responsible. With these, you will 
owe me sixteen thousand ; but, I say again, let it be fifty or 
sixty thousand : whenever you need money, come to me, and I 
will supply your wants.” 

As Marstrand expressed his thanks, the old man laid his 
finger upon his arm, and, with a sly wink, said, u Look to it, 
Herr, that you follow the words of St. Paul, ‘ Keep your eyes 
open, and take care that no one be wiser than yourself f sit 
down now, and sign the bond. Debtor to Niels Helgestad of 
Orenaes in Lyngenfiord, for sixteen thousand spezies, at eight 
per cent, lawful interest.” 

Marstrand subscribed his name, without uttering a word, 
and Helgestad, after reading it, silently thrust the paper in an 
old brown leather pocket-book among other money documents. 
Then they both went to the packing and ware-houses, where 

S 


274 


AFRAJA. 


the lading of the yacht was completed ; thus passed the last 
day of the stay of the possessor of Balsfiord, at Orenaes. 

Upon returning to the house, he met Uda by the way. “T 
have awaited you,” she said, “ to speak with you again, and to 
wish you well.” 

They passed over the green-sward in front of the house, 
whose borders had been planted with birch bushes, over which 
the evening sun shed a soft purple light. Two maidens had 
been hired by Uda for the new Qaard to manage the house, 
and to take charge of some cows and other animals; there 
were, likewise, several young men among the families at Lyn- 
genfiord, who were willing to become Marstrand's vassals, if he 
would provide them with board and lodging. Uda gave him 
some good advice for the first arrangement; and at last the 
conversation came to a pause, and both stood among the fresh, 
odorous bushes, silently regarding the sleeping waters of the 
fiord. 

“ To-morrow,” said Uda, smiling, “you will see this sun 
shine at Balsfiord. May it never set for you, John Marstrand; 
and when, next year, the fine season returns, and the god of 
day does not withdraw his light from us, may many, if not all, 
of your hopes be gratified.” 

“ And what shall I wish you, Miss Uda ?” answered Mar- 
strand. 

His eyes met hers; he seized her hand, and fastened his 
gaze impressively upon her face ; but he dared not accompany 
his thoughts with words. 

“ Wish that it may go well with me in Tromsoe ; and when 
you visit it, do not forget us.” 

“ How could I forget you ? May Tromsoe never hold a hap- 
pier house than yours !” 

They were again silent, until, after a while, Ilda turned and 
looked upon the distant Kilpis, whose gigantic head heaved up 
in the crimson blaze of the declining sun. 

“ Yonder wild mountain-range reminds me that I must speak 


AFR A J A. 


275 


to you of Gula. Do you know that she suddenly left us, and 
that Bjornarne and our friends have sought after her in vain?” 
Marstrand nodded a silent response ; and Ilda continued, in a 
sharper tone, “She left us because her heart’s peace was 
overpowered by the evil which is implanted in our nature. 
God so willed it, and he is almighty.” 

“ I have not,” said he, with emotion, “ disturbed the peace 
of Gula.” 

“No,” was her quiet answer; “I know it was not you. 
Heaven’s mercy upon the poor child ! When you are estab- 
lished at Balsfiord, you will have occasion to see many Lapps. 
Afraja’s herds pasture on the peninsula, and he possesses others 
which roam as far as the White Sea. Inquire after Gula, and 
you may probably hear of her.” 

“ Do you know, then, if she lives ?” he asked ; “ her rela- 
tives deny having seen her.” 

“ She is alive,” she said, drawing a folded note from her 
pocket. “This paper I found yesterday in the bean-arbor, 
when I went, as usual, to my little garden.” 

She handed it to Marstrand. 

“ Do not trouble yourself about me,” were its contents ; “ I 
must be gone. No one compels me, but I must away ! How 
beautiful it is here ! All the red and blue flowers are bloom- 
ing, and all beings love me. The young animals come and lick 
my hands, birch branches bow down to me. I tremble no more, 
my sister ; I am glad. God is good, and his power is great ; 
his golden sun shines on me as I sit by the falling stream and 
think upon you.” 

“ She raves I” said Marstrand, as his arms fell by his side. 

“ Her soul is with us,” replied Ilda. “ Solitary she sits in 
the boundless waste, where no one understands her. Her bosom 
is decked with flowers and birch branches ; do you know what 
that signifies ? She is to choose a husband.” 

“Mortuno !” 

“ I have spoken with the pastor; do you, also, talk with him. 


270 


AFRAJA. 


Klaus Hornemann, in a few days, goes over to tlie Alten river. 
He will seek after Afraja. Give him some intelligence of her; 
help him as much as you can ; for I fear our worthy friend will 
seek for her in vain. Afraja will conceal his daughter from 
him. He will dissemble and lie, so as not to deliver her up.” 

“Is this the object of the Pfarrer’s journey?” asked Mar- 
strand. 

“ We have considered of it,” said she. “You know, in 
Trondenaes there is a school; thither Hornemann wishes to 
carry her. Ho you not see that the paper is stained with tears ? 
and cannot you perceive that Afraja stood by and dictated to 
her the words as she wrote V 

Marstrand was moved by these conjectures, yet he rejoiced 
that Gula was with her father. 

“ If Afraja will positively keep his daughter, and if she fled 
to him, what expectation can I have of discovering her retreat, 
or of interfering with her destiny ?” 

“ When you are living at Balsfiord,” replied Ilda, “ the crafty 
old man will visit you. You have acquired his fullest confi- 
dence.” 

John blushed. What knowledge had Ilda of his various 
meetings with Afraja ? 

“ A wise man can draw profit as well from the blade of grass 
as from the great tree; I do not blame you if you do this. 
You know what you may do, and you will not go farther than 
your conscience and judgment authorize.” 

In these words there was a mixture of admonition and accu- 
sation which increased his embarrassment. He could not 
speak with Ilda of his distrust of her father, of his expecta- 
tions from Afraja's friendship ; and as little could he endure an 
unjust suspicion. With a certain pride of manner, he said, 
“I thank you for your good opinion. I will do nothing against 
my conscience, and I heartily wish I may never have need of 
Afraja’ s services. As to Bjornarne ” 

She interrupted him, and pointed to the house. “ There he 


APR A J A. 


277 


stands, with liis beloved. Before three months are past, he will 
be lord of Orenaes, and will give you all the aid you can expect 
of him.” 

Marstrand looked there with a gloomy expression. “ Your 
father,” he murmured, half aloud, “is a hard man; and he is 
hardest towards his own children.” * 

“ It does not belong to you to censure him,” she answered ; 
“and, least of all, in my presence.” 

“ You always know what is proper,” he cried, with bitter- 
ness. “You are an exemplary daughter, and will take along 
with you the blessing which builds up houses. Let us leave 
here. 1 thank you, Miss Ilda, I thank you. You have no 
sorrow, no wounded heart. Whatever may happen is God’s 
will, and what your father may do against you, against me, 
Bjornarne, or any one else, is well done.” 

“You shall not go, John Marstrand,” she cried after him, 
“ without knowing that I pardon you, and that I think better 
of you than these angry words merit.” 

The tone of her voice was so soft and plaintive, that Mar- 
strand turned to her, quickly reconciled : but he sought 
in vain for a reflection of her words in her eyes. She coldly 
and tranquilly looked upon him, and then composedly said, 
“ Let us part good friends, with the assurance that we are doing 
right, to the best of our knowledge.” 

In the evening, according to the usual division of time, 
although the sun shone warm and bright in the windows, there 
was merry-making in the Gaard. Helgestad had invited several 
neighbors to celebrate the departure of his guest, and Klaus 
Hornemann also, although uninvited, came over from his 
brother Heinrick Sture’s, who was recovering from his indis- 
position. * The people of the Gaard also gathered on the Vor* 
platze , where they were entertained. In the stuff a, there was 
dancing, and in the garden, by the side of the house, the tired 
dancers rested themselves under the shade of the thick bean- 
arbor, from the scorching rays of the midnight sun. 

24 


278 


AFR A JA. 


Marstrand had danced, played, and drunk, and was overflow- 
ing with excitement and good-humor. He had never been seen 
in such a state. His eyes were flashing with pleasure and 
enjoyment; his hand was ever willing to accept another glass, 
or to whirl a maiden in the giddy maze, and he was prompt at 
repartee and jest. 

He sat with the men in the circle, and discussed the 
arrangements which he had devised for Balsfiord; at which 
many gravely shook their heads, in anticipation of a sad end 
to such inconsiderate plans of living. To the young people he 
promised invitations to feasts, dances, and hunting-matches; 
and to the maidens he had a polite word for all, leaving each 
under the impression that she had won his preference. 

His gaiety became contagious. Paul Petersen strove to 
maintain his reputation of being the merriest boon companion ; 
many young men heated their brains with strong drinks, emu- 
lating each other in extravagant laughter, songs, and mummery 
of all kinds; even the serious Olaf lost his gravity, and the old 
Gaard of Orenaes shook again with the wild uproar. 

After a while, Marstrand encountered Hannah in the arbor, 
to which she had fled from the tumult. “ I would have never 
believed, Herr Marstrand,” she said, as he stood before her, 
“ that you could have so gaily and lightly taken leave of us.” 

“ Why should T not be gay,” he replied, “ when I leave you 
all so happy behind me ?” 

“ And what is concealed beneath this happy exterior?” she 
said, with a piercing look. “ Grief which, in its desperation, 
makes a jest of its misery.” 

“ The deception will not, at least, continue much longer; for, 
in an hour more, the morning wind will carry me and my vessel 
to sea.” 

“ To the wilderness of Balsfiord, where there will be no 
leisure for laughing and jesting.” 

“So much the better, Hannah: when tired with labor, I 


A F RAJ A. 


279 


I can sleep and wake, free from every thought incompatible 
with my life of a settler.” 

“I hope,” she replied, “that however you may forget the 
rest of the world, you will remember us, and a few others : 
although the way over the wild fjeld is difficult, yet I trust we 
shall shortly see you here again.” 

Marstrand replied with a dissenting sign. “I shall not 
return here for a long time. I have fifty workmen to look 
after; and Olaf has refused me his aid. lie will have nothing 
to do with what he considers a waste of money and time. But 
I will not be here to see how happiness and contentment 
will flourish in Guard von Orenaes. I will not see how Helge- 
stad calculates, how the vulgar face of the voigt, in which all 
vices are depicted, daily grows redder from his deep potations ; 
and I will not also see his vile nephew making himself secure 
of his prey; and, last of all, I will not see how Miss Hannah 
associates with him, and casts away all hopes of earthly 
happiness, notwithstanding my efforts to prevent the sacrifice.” 

“ And Ilda ?” she whispered in his ear. 

Marstrand drew back, and his face reddened with displea- 
sure. “At this last moment, hear me, Hannah Fandrem; 
although you have avoided me for several days. What horrible 
object is it which induces you to give your hand to Bjornarne, 
and to consent to Ilelgestad’s plans, and so indefatigably to 
strive after his approbation ? After having inflicted upon you 
the deepest injury, he seeks your forgiveness; and you take 
his bloody hand, and aspire to the honor of becoming his be- 
loved daughter ! You pretend affection for him, and love for 
Bjornarne; but deadly hatred and vengeance are burning in 
your soul, and you are willing, for their satisfaction, to involve 
yourself and an innocent person in the same sacrifice. What 
prevents me from going before Helgestad, and telling him what 
I know ?” 

“ Nothing but the consciousness that no one would believe 


280 


APR A J A. 


you,” responded Hannali, smiling. “ You saw how the vener 
able pastor answered you, and what improper suspicion you 
brought upon yourself.” 

“True,” said he ; “but have you no compassion on Bjor- 
narne ? Do you not see with what repulsiveness he receives 
your manifestations of love ?” 

“Am I then so repulsive?” she replied, with a loud laugh. 
“What a picture you draw of me, Herr Marstrand, and how 
politely you speak ! If it were true, I would be sorry for it j 
but I would only redouble my caresses, to cure him of his aver- 
sion.” 

“Unhappy maiden ! tempt not God. Bjornarne must obey 
his father, whatever his own feelings may be. You will live 
by his side at Lyngenfiord, and in this house, until you die. 
He will reconcile himself to his lot, Hannah, but you will not. 
Your vengeance, with all its torments, will recoil upon you.” 

Her face turned pale, and her hands convulsively clasped 
together, but it was only for a moment. She immediately 
resumed her equanimity. “ I have chosen my lot,” said she. 
“ Heaven help me, I could not do otherwise. Consider, my 
friend, what was left to me. For me, there was no retreating, 
and I could only look forward. I suffered my betrothment to 
take place because I could not prevent it. Am I guilty, if Hel- 
gestad’s son does not love me ? What opposition could I, a 
weak, forlorn woman, on this savage coast, without friends, 
make to Helgestad’s powerful will ? I can do nothing else, but 
endeavor to ameliorate my destiny by gaining his love and 
favor. This is my honest purpose, and why should I be blamed 
for it ? I seek to gratify those with whom I am to live, and 
manifest a friendly and pleased inclination for my betrothed. 
I wish to convince him that I will be a true companion, and 
that I honor and esteem him. These are my purposes, and I 
swear to you by all that is holy, I will always faithfully fulfil 
my duty.” 

Marstrand made no answer, and for a while stood in silent 


AFRAJA. 


281 


contemplation. He could not gainsay what Hannah had said, 
but yet he knew it to be false. A pause ensued ; the flowers 
in the garden awoke from their sleep, and a breath of air 
rustled the leaves above them, reminding him that the morning 
had come. 

“ Bjornarne's heart is heavy with sorrow, and his eyes are 
red with secret weeping. It is ridiculous, and at the same time 
shameful, to speak of it. He cannot forget the fugitive Lap- 
land maiden. Hula is always in his mind.” 

“Do you know that?” exclaimed John. “Who told you 

BO?” 

“ Softly,” she interrupted, with a smile. “ A friend, an 
upright friend, who wishes me well, and who trusts me, like 
you ; in a word, my dear brother-in-law, Paul Petersen.” 

“ The miserable hypocrite,” muttered Marstrand. 

“ The good Paul,” continued Hannah, without noticing his 
remark, “ who gives himself the greatest trouble to chase away 
Bjornarne's sadness. Around the whole fiord, and wherever 
his influence extends, he urges the most experienced men to 
hunt out the place of concealment of the maiden. He will 
finally succeed in discovering her retreat, and I almost believe 
he knows it already.” 

“There is mischief in whatever this man meddles with. 
Beware of him. Why does he seek Gula ? What will he do 
when he has found her ?” 

“ What care I ?” was her reply. “ If he brings her here, I 
will receive her ; or do you think I ought to be jealous of her ? 
I believe the rascally secretary has himself rather lovingly 
looked upon her black eyes ; at least he speaks of her with 
wonderful enthusiasm. Ilda must take care that he does not 
carry her to his house in Tromsoe.” 

“ Gula,” replied the Dane, “does not deserve such jests.” 

“ And what does Ilda deserve ?” she asked. 

“ Your esteem, Hannah Fandrem.” 

“ More than that, I admire her. She is as cool, resolute, 

24 * 


282 


AFR A J A. 


and intelligent, as the best fish-trader in Nordland ; as submis- 
sive to God’s will as a missionary; as humble as a Lapp : this 
pious, discreet maiden, has also a warm, tender heart, and is 
prouder than many a privy-councillor’s daughter.” 

Marstrand’s face was in a flame, he turned around and arose. 
Hannah took his hand — “ There comes the wind, rippling the 
smooth surface of the fiord,” she said. “ So will the morning 
come over us, and chase away the heavy air. They are seeking 
us. Farewell, dear friend, every one plays his part as well as 
he can; may the deceivers be deceived.” 

Klaus Hornemann stretched his head around the corner of 
the house; he held Bjornarne by the hand. “ There she sits, 
the fair bride, in vain awaiting the sad bridegroom. The last 
dance is now to come off.” 

“ Not the last, dear Bjornarne,” said Hannah, as she hurried 
up to her betrothed, who gazed at her with an irresolute and 
distrustful air; “we will have many dances before the last 
comes ; but you will always find me ready to do my best.” 

She drew him away, and Marstrand took the arm of the old, 
laughing parson. “ Bo you yet doubt,” said the latter, “ that 
this will be a happy pair. Such an active, bustling wife 
Bjornarne ought to have. She will bring a blessing on his 
house, and lead Helgestad to good works and repentance.” 

Marstrand had no reply to make, for at this moment the 
whole body of his young friends took possession of him, and 
brought him back in triumph to the Stuga ; here he made his 
farewell speech, and received his full share of toasts to good 
luck, hand shakings,, and parting hints of good advice. 

An hour later he was standing on the quarter-deck of the 
yacht, which, with her bellied sail, was gliding rapidly over 
the fiord. Reiterated huzzas followed the vessel, as she bore 
out to sea under a fresh wind. 

A curious sensation came over him, as he sat alone in the 
cabin of the vessel which carried him to his uncertain destiny. 
A little while before, he was surrounded by people who all 


A E R A J A . 


283 


entertained more or less sympathy for him; now he was 
altogether isolated, and thrown entirely upon himself, without 
the assistance of any one related to him by blood, or near to 
him in affection. 

He cast a glance at the heap of chests and stores that filled 
up the cabin, and laid his heated head in his hands; he 
courageously lifted up his eyes again, and repeated his vow of 
indefatigable industry, and his resolution to overcome all diffi- 
culties. Fortune had favored him, and he had found friends 
and support ; his royal patent had obtained him a vast tract of 
land ; the whole vessel was his, with all its contents ; and stout 
men stood ready to serve him. It would be easy to procure 
others, for by him in the corner were the iron chests full of 
specie thalers; and what could not be had for money? He 
impatiently watched, the whole day long, the run of the yacht, 
as she sailed along the coast ; the next morning she cast anchor 
before Tromsoe. The voigt had named to him some laborers, 
carpenters and wood-cutters, who, for good wages, might be 
induced to accompany him ; he was more successful with them 
than he had expected. The report of the new settlement at 
Balsfiord, and of the Danish lord who was to build mills there, 
and to saw up the Balself wood into logs and planks, had 
already arrived at Tromsoe ; although most made light of it, 
yet they were not unwilling to join in the expedition, and 
obtain their share of the wasted money. The Balsfiord was a 
desert place, but little known, of no repute as a fishing ground, 
and visited only by reindeer and Lapps. But there was, also, 
in these poor idle men, enervated by want and the climate, 
something yet left of the bold, adventurous spirit of their 
Norman ancestors; and when the yacht got under way again, 
the number of laborers shipped was nearly doubled. 

On the third day the vessel ran into the winding and con- 
stantly narrowing bay, but the view was more pleasing. Lovely 
meadows stretched out on all sides before the eye. The naked, 
black rocks receded, and gave room for little valleys, into which 


284 


AFRAJA. 


numberless cascades might be seen tumbling from the heights 
above. The platforms of the mountains were covered with 
thick green grass and groves of birch trees ; and at last the 
new-built Gaard loomed up before the ship in stately dignity 
from its elevated site. 

The sight of the house was hailed with a triple hurrah ; and 
from the various huts men and women came out to meet the 
new comers. A pile work had already been commenced between 
the rocks on shore, where the packing-house was to be built, 
and it had advanced so far, that the yacht could make fast to 
it. Marstrand was the first to touch the shore, with a desperate 
leap; he stood there, as Helgestad would say, upon his own 
feet, his hat on his head, the picture of a man who knew how 
to take care of himself. 

The unloading of the cargo went under his immediate inspec- 
tion ; and the first day was for Marstrand one of incessant con- 
fusion and toil. The rooms of the house were filled with chests, 
and boxes, and bales. It required no little judgment and 
attention to see that everything was put in its right place ; but 
with the assistance of some expert men, whom he had selected 
for the purpose, Marstrand was enabled properly to arrange the 
various articles. 

After a week, the household establishment was put in order, 
boats prepared for the fishery, places sought for the building of 
huts for the different families, and every where the laborers 
were hard at work, and joy and hope beamed in all faces. The 
yacht had brought a considerable quantity of flour and pro- 
visions of all kinds, and Marstrand distributed them bounte- 
ously, without thinking of repayment. For this first time he 
made no charges against his people. The fishermen were to 
take care of themselves, the wood-cutters must first prepare 
dwellings, the Gaard and its shop be completely established, 
and the whole curious machinery of this new life be first set 
in motion, before trade could be commenced. 

With the combination of all his forces, Marstrand began the 


AFR A J A. 


285 


building of his store-house; where wood was not at hand, 
it was felled in the forest; hut he soon saw the difficulties 
with which he had to contend to gain a practicable access to 
the rocky valley of the Balself. It was necessary to build 
bridges over deep ravines ; a road was to be laid out and graded, 
and it often required considerable ingenuity to overcome obsta- 
cles which only succeeded after repeated failures. 

This road to the mountain forest was the chief effort of the 
enterprising proprietor, who procured additional laborers from 
Malangerfiord, and especially carpenters who understood the 
mode of constructing saw-mills. With great difficulty two 
Nordlanders were obtained from Lenvig, who boasted of having 
built mills in Trondheim and other parts of the north. When 
they saw the valley of the Balself, however, the deep, furious 
stream, the precipices, and the rugged ground, they declared it 
impossible to find a place where a mill could be erected. Mar- 
strand’s cash could alone induce them to set to work, and at 
last make the attempt. 

The more the difficulties increased, the greater was the 
energy of the young settler. From morning to night he was 
constantly busy. Now, he was with the workmen, who were 
finishing the warehouse ; now with the mill-architects, or with 
the road-makers and the wood-cutters in the side valleys on the 
fiord. New requisitions upon his time and strength were made 
upon his return to the house, where he found many in quest 
of provisions, money, and instructions. He had strifes to settle, 
discontents to appease, and, at the same time, he was obliged to 
take care of his domestic concerns, and keep his accounts as a 
trader. 

The mountains of the peninsula around the Ulvsfiord were 
peopled with wandering families of Laplanders ; the tinkle of 
the reindeer’s bell sounded from the mountains; the report of 
the gun echoed over the bay; and, in the evening, men in 
brown shirts, peaked leather caps on the head, and kommagers 
on the legs, came down to the valley, and curiously looked at 


286 


APR A J A. 


the new works. They brought with them birds, reindeer horns, 
and skins, which they exchanged for powder ; lead, and knives, 
twine and needles. 

Thus stood matters, when one day, to Marstrand's greatest 
joy, Olaf Yeigand entered his house. He received the honest, 
single-minded Olaf, as a being of a superior order, who as cor 
dially responded to his hearty greeting. 

The news which he brought with him was of no particular 
interest. Helgestad had not yet returned, and the secretary 
exercised unlimited sway, which had given rise to all kinds of 
scenes. Ilda could only influence her lover by her submissive 
gentleness; but Bjornarne was entirely .independent of him, 
and by devilish arts, as Olaf said, had been so entirely changed, 
that no one knew him any more. He troubled himself about 
nothing, and passed most of his time in coursing over the high 
fjeldes like a wild animal, from which he came back famished 
with hunger, and with his clothes in tatters. A poisoned drink 
must have been given him, or a witches' spell have been pro- 
nounced over him, for his eyes glared like a madman's, and kis 
limbs shook like one in a fever, when he was questioned upon 
his conduct. “ The only one who makes head against the secre- 
tary, is Hannah," said Olaf farther, “ and it is amusing to see 
how she gives him his dues. She shows much love to Bjor- 
narne, whom she caresses and flatters; but he deserves it not, 
for the fonder she is, the more rude and uncivil he becomes. 
In my vexation, and because I could no longer support these 
proceedings, I ran off, deep into the Jauren, where I nearly lost 
my life." 

He took off his hat, and showed Marstrand a bullet-hole in 
the crown. “ See how close the lead passed to my skin. May 
the hand be withered that made that shot ! But may I be 
hanged if I do not know the rascal who fired it." 

“ Who could attempt your life ?" 

“Were you ever up there," asked Olaf, “where the great 
«one rises, which they call the Kilpis ?" 


AFRA J A. 


287 


Marstrand replied in the negative. 

u That is a curious place,” continued Olaf. u A woody, 
broken fjeld leads up to it. Now you meet deep ravines, co- 
vered with trees, with thundering water-falls and streams; then 
naked clefts, black, thunder-riven, and scorched; then again, 
level plains full of monstrous stones and blocks, sometimes 
curiously arranged in a circle, as if disposed so by the hand of 
man. — A herd of wild reindeer sprang over these rocks, with 
half a dozen wolves at their heels, I behind them all, seeking 
to get to windward of the animals, who always run against the 
wind. It was all in vain. The whole pack plunged down into 
a ravine, and far in the distance I heard the rustling of their 
antlers and the howl of their pursuers. As I clambered up the 
other side of the gorge, the Kilpis stood before me, a jagged 
mass of rock, full a mile long, and more than a thousand feet 
high. It rose up in the midst of a sea of ruins ; at its feet, 
the water was gathered into a black lake or swamp, covered with 
innumerable quantities of malf berries and yellow gentian 
hovers. No living being was to be seen, and no sound agi- 
tated the air, except when, occasionally, a stone breaking 
loose from the summit rolled down into the water with a heavy 
splash. 

(t As I was observing the curious mountain, I remembered 
that the Laplanders revered it as the holy seat of their god 
Jubinal. I looked around to see if I could discover any of the 
dirty, lurking scoundrels; for my sack was empty, and my 
tongue cleaved to the roof of my mouth. It was all in vain, 
however. I climbed up to a projecting ledge, and surveyed the 
whole country. Nothing was to be seen but deep gorges, over- 
grown birch-thickets, and the bare, desolate fjeldes of the moun- 
tains. I tore off a gentian-stalk and put it in my mouth, as th« 
Laplanders do to relieve thirst, when, to my great joy, I ob- 
served, over an opposite ridge of the mountain, a thin smok* 
rising in the air. It was a severe undertaking to reach ii 
through swamp, wood, and water. More than once I lost the 


288 


A F It A J A . 


direction, as tlie way lay tlirougli a perfect labyrinth of rocks, 
rubbish, and wild bushes ; but I at last overcame the ascent, 
and looked down into a green valley beneath, which appeared 
as if slit with a knife in the body of the Kilpis. I saw no 
human beings, but it was too beautiful not to be inhabited. A 
clear brook flowed between overgrown banks ; tall trees grew 
on the edge of the mountain-sides; and the faintly-sounding 
tinkle of reindeer-bells was distinctly audible. 

“ I had often heard that such lovely little spots existed in the 
midst of these savage wastes, like the oases spoken of by the 
books in the deserts of the hot countries. As I was looking 
about for a place to descend, I heard a report, from above or 
below, I was not certain which ; but my hat fell from my head 
and my hair stood on end. With a bound, I jumped behind a 
rock. I pointed my gun in all directions, but nothing moved. 
I saw no smoke. Probably the scoundrel had shot up from the 
ravine without my observing it. It was no shame if I set out 
at full run. Behind me there echoed an infernal laughter, as 
if it were Jubinal himself, shouting down from the top of the 
Kilpis. I waded in the swamp knee-deep through the jungle, 
and was heartily rejoiced when I again reached the black lake 
and had found the right direction. In the evening, I was at 
the sources of the Balself, which gush out from the Tanjaure ; 
and who should I meet there ? No other than Mortuno, the 
cross-eyed rascal; his plumed hat on his left ear, and grinning 
as maliciously as a blue fox when he has scrambled upon the 
fish-scaffolds. His herds lay around the springs ; four tents 
were pitched within an enclosure ; and a whole band of men 
jand women hovered over the fire in the stones, each uglier than 
the other.” 

“ And was there no trace of Gula there ?” asked Marstrand. 

“Not that I could learn. The foolish fellow obliged me to 
enter his gamme and rest ; but if he had not been so polite, 
and if this whole tribe of thieves had risen against me, I could 


AFRAJA. 


289 


not have left tlie spot, because I was completely exhausted, and 
hungry enough to have eaten a reindeer cheese.” 

“ Did you not make any inquiries after Gula, dear Olaf?” 

“ Certainly I did ; for Ilcla is always making a bustle about 
her; and Bjornarne, also, cannot forget the yellow, black-eyed 
witch. I asked after her; but Mortuno grinned, like a mon- 
key, from ear to ear, spoke and screamed in his miserable 
tongue, which nobody understands, bent himself double, 
shrugged his shoulders, and shook his head in denial.” 

“He lied,” said Marstrand; “Gula lives.” 

“ He certainly lied ; for immediately afterwards, he laughed; 
looking, for all the world, like a skarfe on the rocks dressing its 
feathers, and said that as soon as Gula was found, he intended 
to buy her of Afraja.” 

“ Buy her ! Is he mad ?” 

“Ha, ha!” roared Olaf; “you do not understand it. To 
buy, in good Lappish, means to marry. The maiden’s father 
receives a number of reindeer, or some other kind of present, 
for which he leads his daughter into a holy circle of stones — a 
Saita, as they call it — where he delivers her to her husband, 
who conducts her into his gamme. This is all the marriage 
ceremony among this wretched rabble. In spite of the efforts 
of the government and the pious Klaus, there are rarely any 
among them who will act, in these matters, after a Christian 
fashion.” 

“ Afraja will never give his daughter to this Mortuno,” said 
the Dane, with much warmth. “ Gula will not permit herself 
to be sold to this filthy villain.” 

“Bah !” replied Olaf; “what else can she do? Mortuno is 
a fine gentleman among his equals ; but I believe him capable 
of the worst things. May I be hanged if it was not he who 
sent a bullet through my hat. 

“ I could read the exultation in his rascally face,” continued 
Olaf. “ You remember how we broke our jests upon Mortuno, 
when he was in Orenaes Gaard. He took all in good part, and 
25 t 


290 


AFRAJA. 


laughed at our tricks; for these scoundrels are very humble 
when they are among us. As I now sat in his gamine, he 
reminded me of how I proposed to make him a w r atchman in 
Bodoen, and how Paul Petersen would have him for his body 
guard. ‘Now look/ said he, amid all kinds of grimaces, I 
have not forgotten it, good father, ‘ Mortuno forgets nothing ; 
when you come to the country of the children of Jubinal, he 
will be as vigilant as the dwarf Bugo over the giant Yulpus/ 

“ The look with which the villain surveyed me was of such 
a character, that I involuntarily laid my hand on my knife ; 
but he clapped his hands like a madman, leaned back, and 
muttered something through his throat, that set all the rest in 
the same ecstasy. They looked at me with their round, red, 
wicked eyes, as so many devils incarnate. A shudder ran 
over me, and I was obliged to summon up all my energies, to 
prevent my fear from being seen. Mortuno next laid his hand 
upon my arm, and disgustingly fondled me about the head and 
neck, as I would do to a dog, all of which I bore in patience, 
without uttering a word. Snatching the hat from my head, and 
observing the holes in it, he exclaimed : ‘ Ida ! ha ! my dear 
father, this is a pair of ugly holes. Take care the next time. 
I will relate to you how Bugo, the dwarf, did with his lord, 
the giant/ 

“ He took the pipe out of my pocket, the tobacco out of my 
bag, and coolly set to smoking. ‘ Bugo/ said he, after a while, 
‘was a Finn, a wise and discreet man, who lived here. 
Yulpus, surnamed the giant, dwelt by the sea, and was such a 
monster, that he could cross the Lyngenfiord with a single 
stride. Bugo had been instructed in the use of the bow by 
the god Ayka, in which he was so expert that no wolf, bird, or 
even fish in the water, could escape him. ‘ You must watch 
over my house, and keep it in order/ said Yulpus to him, and 
Bugo assented. He watched and hunted for him ; and when 
Yulpus slept, he stood near him and shot the flies from his face 
with his arrows, without moving a hair. This he did for a 


A F II A J A . 


291 


jear, and then asked for his compensation ; but Yulpus laughed 
at him. ‘ You simpleton/ he cried, with the point of his 
finger throwing him upon his knees, ‘ speak another word, and 
I will crush you to powder/ Bugo supplicated for mercy ; but 
when Yulpus went to sleep, he took his bow and shot a mighty 
arrow through his head and hair, which was several feet thick. 
The arrow sank deep in the side of the rock, and nailed tho 
giant fast, who awoke in great terror, and imploringly begged 
Bugo to set him at liberty. ‘Will you leave the land, and 
never again return V asked the dwarf. Yulpus promised all, 
and Bugo then drew out the arrow ; but this had hardly been 
done, before the giant sprang on his feet, and squeezed the 
dwarf so hard between his fingers, that the blood ran out of his 
mouth and ears. ‘You fool/ said the giant, ‘if you jest again 
with me, I will hurl you seven miles over the mountains and 
islands into the sea/ 

“ ‘ Will you not keep the oath you have sworn ? ’ asked 
Bugo. 

“ ‘ I will not observe it/ cried Yulpus ; ‘ but I will break 
your neck if you do not become my servant/ 

“ Bugo then took his bow and arrows, and ran to the Kilpis ; 
and when he saw the giant coming to take him captive, he 
said, smiling : ‘ I warned you, little father, to keep away from 
my country. I shot within a hair of your head ; now I will 
take a lower aim/ and as he spoke his arrow flew through the 
head of Yulpus. He plunged into the black lake, and never 
appeared again. There lies he yet ; and at times roars so by 
night, that all flee away who hear him/ 

“ So,” said Olaf farther “ spoke this long-haired scoundrel, 
and he looked at me and my hat with such a horrible 
grin, that I understood well enough what he meant. The 
whole evening he jeered me; and how it happened that I 
awoke the next morning with a whole throat I cannot yet 
comprehend. I slept soundly enough among dogs and men in 
.the gamme ; and, as I was aroused by a shake of the shoulder, 


292 


AFRAJA. 


I sprang up, and beheld the grinning creature standing before 
me with a bowl of warm reindeer’s milk and bread, both of 
which tasted wonderfully good. He then showed me the near- 
est way through bush and rocks, and how I must follow the 
course of the stream, all of which he did with as much dignity 
as a monkey in red breeches. 

“ 1 Farewell) Olaf Yeigand,’ he exclaimed, in separating, ‘and 
do not forget the giant Yulpus and the dwarf Bugo.’ 

“ I would have liked to have given him a remembrancer,” 
said Olaf, closing his story; “but for the apprehension that 
some one of the roving thieves might be concealed behind the 
rocks. If, however, the black brute ever falls into my hands, 
I will pay him up for his jokes.” 

Marstrand could not refrain from smiling at the rude manner 
in which Mortuno had exercised the right of retaliation, and 
how deeply he had humiliated the Nordlander. He endeavored 
to pacify him, and led him into the gaard and around among 
the various laborers, and deep into the woods among the wood- 
cutters and mill-constructors. The more Olaf saw and heard, 
the less satisfied he seemed to be ; and, at last, he could not 
withhold the expression of his anxiety. 

“It is, indeed,” said he, “the custom in Nordland for no 
one to undervalue another’s works; but, as your friend, John 
Marstrand, I cannot be silent and see you going to ruin. Your 
settlement is large, and by all appearance, you would soon make 
your fortune, if you would act as other men. You have fish in 
the fiord, and the sea belongs to you as far out as the Strom- 
menbucht : but you have no fishermen. Where are your fish- 
scaffolds, which should already be full ? Where are your ware- 
houses and your presses ? What are your household arrange- 
ments ? All is neglected, imperfect, and no provision made for 
the winter. Nowhere do I see any signs of cultivation ; you 
squander your stores, and support a great number of indolent 
people, who do as little as possible. The beautiful little valleys 
where industrious colonists could dwell, lie as wild as ever; 


AFRAJA. 


293 


miserable huts have been erected, instead of solid log-houses 
for your working-people. You are throwing away your strength, 
your money, and your provisions, to make a road to the woods, 
whose trees will strike you dead. You are building your hap- 
piness on vain calculations that can never be realised.” 

Marstrand unsuccessfully attempted to defend himself, and 
Olaf continued; “I cannot praise the man,” said he, “who 
walks in the light of the sun, and yet stumbles and falls over 
every stone. Let us examine your stores, and make an estimate 
of the quantity you have used, and of what you stand in need 
of for. future exigencies.” 

The examination took place, and it was found that the young 
settler had consumed six times as much as was necessary, 
according to Olaf’s calculations, and if he continued so to 
manage, the stock would be exhausted before the autumn. 
His ready money had also greatly diminished, and his account- 
book showed that he reckoned badly, and it was evident that 
his good-nature had been taken advantage of. 

“In fine,” said Olaf, “you have begun badly, and you will 
soon be a ruined man, if you do not immediately correct your 
faults. Drive away a fourth of these idlers, let the trees lie 
where they are, and throw your mills and saws into the fiord. 
You must go over to Lyngenfiord and ask aid and stores of all 
kinds, and then be wiser. I will take your place here, will put 
things in order, and finish the building of your storehouse ; 
dismiss, however, the useless people who are consuming your 
means, and laughing at the stupidity of the Danish fool.” 

Although Marstrand felt the truth of these reproaches, he 
could not resolve to admit their justice. His pride prevented 
him from confessing, before all the world, that he had, indeed, 
acted like a fool. All around the country, as far even as Finn- 
mark, the new undertaking was talked of. From Tromsoe, 
from the Malanger islands, and also from Nordland, came peo- 
ple, who looked at his operations with astonishment. Many 
had their own peculiar notions on the subject; but they were 
25 * 


294 


AERAJA. 


all convinced that these woods could, if converted into logs and 
planks, become extraordinarily profitable. Marstrand had no 
doubt on the subject. He was satisfied with what he had done, 
and he knew that he could overcome all difficulties. He could 
not consent to abandon his plans, to cease operations, and expose 
himself to ridicule and contempt. 

He slowly wandered along in solitary meditation, until he 
arrived at the meadow where the bear had been formerly killed, 
and as he looked up, he perceived Afraja sitting on a rock. 

The old man wore his summer dress, a short blouse of brown 
cotton stuff. A reindeer of extraordinary size, with monstrous 
antlers, stood alongside of him, upon the back of which, a kind 
of saddle, with high cushions, was strapped. The two yellow 
dogs of the sorcerer, as before, lay at his feet, and he, himself, 
was nearly bent double, with his chin resting upon his staff. 

As the dogs started up with a growl, Afraja raised his head, 
and, without any appearance of surprise, awaited the stranger, 
whose countenance suddenly lit up with joy as he beheld the 
man who could help him if he chose. 

“ I am glad thus unexpectedly to meet you,” he exclaimed, 
as he approached. 

“ Sit down by me,” answered the Lapp ; “ I have been wait- 
ing for you.” 

“ How did you know that I would come ?” asked Marstrand, 
with an incredulous smile. 

“ I knew it,” said Afraja, impressively ; “ I know much.” 

“Tell me first,” continued the young man, “ how is Gula?” 

“ She is well,” was the answer. 

“Where do you keep her? Is she in the neighborhood V* 

The old chief suffered some minutes to elapse before he made 
an answer. Leaning with his hands clasped upon his staff, he 
appeared to be in deep meditation. “ My child,” said he, “ is 
sitting in her gamme upon the border of the stream, where the 
good Gods suffer flowers to bloom. She is glad, and rejoices 
that she can run around under the young birches, light-footed 


AFRAJA. 


295 


as tlie reindeer, and that she no longer dwells in the confined 
house of the avaricious trader.” 

“ Helgestad has been a benefactor to her,” said John. “ I 
do not believe you, Afraja; you are a hard father; you have 
carried her off by stealth to some part of the wilderness, where 
you compel her to remain.” 

“ Did she not,” answered the old man, “ of her own accord 
leave the house at Lyngenfiord, to dwell again with me ?” 

“ But she longs to return thither.” 

u Believe me,” said the Lapp, “ her eyes are bright, and her 
lips laugh.” 

“ What will you do with her ? What will be her lot ?” said 
the young man, with agitation. “ Shall she, year by year, rove 
about with you, even to the polar sea ? . Such a life will kill 
her, and you are old, Afraja. What will become of her when 
you are taken from her ?” 

“ She will take the husband that is destined for her.” 

“ Whom ? Mortuno, perhaps ?” 

Afraja bent down, and answered not. 

“ Is such a man fit for one of the education and training of 
your child ?” continued Marstrand. “ You will see the flower 
which God gave you wither . and die before the winter comes, 
and you will then repent in vain of your folly.” 

“ Have you reflected upon what you say ? Gula is a daugh- 
ter of an outcast people ; where shall she dwell to be happy ? 
With you, perhaps ? Shall she be despised and scorned as a 
maid-servant ? Shall she inhabit the house of a filthy Quane ? 
Who has driven us into this wilderness ? Who robbed us of 
the land of our fathers ? Who compels us to wander with the 
reindeer V* 

Marstrand could not contradict the old man. “ Your com- 
plaint is just, but all do not deserve your reproach.” 

“You,” answered the Lapp, “are milder than these hard- 
hearted, avaricious men. You are a sensible, friendly-disposed 
young man ; but would you introduce Gula into your house ? 


296 


A F It A J A . 


Would you place her at your hearth, and eat out of the same 
dish with her ?” 

He laughed aloud, and crouched upon his staff, as he observed 
the effect of his inquiry. “ You see it,” he exclaimed. “ Are 
you more just or better ? But you could not be, for they would 
treat you as they do us. They would thrust you out like a 
dog ; they would bring shame and disgrace upon you, and chase 
you away like the grey wolf, so that nothing would be left to 
you but to flee into the desert where the outcasts dwell.” 

Afraja spoke with a clearer, fuller voice, and without the 
usual ambiguity and signs of the Lapp. In an intelligible 
manner, and with the dignity that Marstrand had often observed 
in him, he described the misery of his race ; he remarked the 
deep impression which his descriptions made upon his sympa- 
thetic hearer. 

“ Therefore,” said Afraja, “ you cannot wonder that my 
child does not go down to you again. Leave her, I pray you, 
with those who love and honor her as Afraja’ s daughter, and 
tell the fools who blindly seek her, that they had better remain 
quietly at home than to pursue her among our deserts.” 

“You astonish me,” said Marstrand. “Were all of your 
race as intelligent as you, the opinion of their persecutors would 
be changed.” 

“ I would not change it, young man,” replied Afraja. “ Whom 
do they hate most ? Me, because they call me wise. If all 
my people were like me, their hate would consume every one 
of us.” 

“ They hate you,” said Marstrand, “ because they fear you ; 
your people, however, despise and laugh at them. It would be 
better if they did not do the latter. Hate may be reconciled 
or destroyed by hate ; he who laughs and despises is not an 
enemy to excite apprehension.” 

Afraja listened in silence. He sat in deep meditation upon 
the stone, rolling his little red eyes wildly about, and lowering 
upon his counsellor. “ Let us talk of your affairs,” lie said, 


AFR A J A. 


297 


in reply, as Marstrand ceased speaking; “for that purpose have 
I come hither. Often, in the sleepless hours of the night, your 
lips whispered my name. You called me.” 

“ You know more than I myself,” said Marstrand. 

“ You called, because you had need of me,” continued the 
old man. “You expend much money, and maintain a great 
many people. Your bags and chests are empty, and your silver 
thalers flow into other men’s pockets.” 

“ You are right,” answered the young proprietor. “ I have 
myself feared that I should he obliged to desist, and leave my 
work in an unfinished state.” 

Afraja laughed aloud. “Do not so,” said he, “your work 
is good. Helgestad will commend it when he visits you ” 

“ Will he supply me farther with money and goods, despite 
your warnings.” 

“ Your saw-mills and your industry will please him.” 

“ But if Helgestad withdraws his aid, can I rely upon you, 
Afraja?” 

The sorcerer replied with a nod. “ Let us see first what he 
has to say. Go then, if you desire, to the fiord below, until you 
come to the spot where Jubinal once outstretched his hand, and 
crushed the voigt in his house. Go thither in the starlight, 
and call upon me. Wherever I may he, I will hear your voice. 
Speak my name softly, as when Syda, the wind-god, dances 
over the surface of the young grass, and Afraja will he with 
you.” 

It seemed to the Dane as if he were forming a compact with 
the Evil One; and yet the old, mysterious man, of whom he 
asked assistance, and who, with all kinds of jugglery, main- 
tained his reputation as a sorcerer, was rather encouraging than 
intimidating. 

“May I trust in you, Afraja?” he inquired, as earnestly as 
he could. 

“ You must do it, young man — you will do it,” he replied. 

“ And what do you ask of me, in return for your service ?” 


298 


A PR A J A. 


“ Nothing, nothing !” said the Lapp, as hypocritically as the 
arch-fiend himself. “ I have as much money for you as you 
may want. Yet, let me go. My way is far. My land is endless. 
No one knows it — they call it a wilderness. Come and see for 
yourself, if it does not produce better fruits than grow at 
Lyngenfiord. I will show you what no one has seen : farewell, 
and remember what I have told you. I am sitting on a 
grave-stone, my eyes are open. I know and can do 
much.” 

With these words, which he spake in a half-singing tone, he 
mounted his beast, and seized the halter which dangled from 
its neck. With a gentle jerk, he set it in motion, and followed 
by the two yellow dogs, the reindeer quickly clambered up the 
steep rocks from which the Balself precipitated itself. 

Marstrand looked after him until he was lost to view. He 
then turned away in deep thought, but evidently composed in 
mind. Afraja had money for him, in case Helgestad should 
entertain evil intentions against him ; but why should he leave 
him helpless, after he had done all in his power to assist 
him ? 

When he reached the Gaard, he resolved to go over to 
Lyngenfiord, as Olaf was certain that Helgestad must have 
returned. He had to fulfil his promise to Olaf, to give him, 
for a time, the supervision of affairs — to finish the ware-house, 
and to prosecute the work in the woods, until he himself should 
return from Orenaes. 

Olaf was ready for all this. “I will,” said he, “put up a 
fine ware-house for you ; but you will have no stores. Ho as 
you please, however ; I will not oppose you. Every one must 
know what is best for himself.” 

The careful Gaardherr allotted the work to the carpenters, 
and, on the following morning, selecting the best among the 
eight horses, which he had purchased for his establishment, 
he set out upon his journey. The young, strong animal soon 
carried him over the mountain ridge which separates the Bals- 


APRAJAi 


299 


fiord from the Ulvfiord, and by noon he had reached the fjeld 
which leads to Lyngenfiord. 

The scene was much different - from what it was when, in 
wading through snow and swamp, he had first learned the diffi- 
culties of this pathless waste. Wild grass, moss, and green 
spots now abounded ; birch-bushes and briery thickets grew in 
sheltered localities, and everywhere the prolific mountain 
bramble cast a scarlet hue over the broad, high plain, upon 
which the swamp was, for the most part, dried up. 

From the higher elevations, he looked down upon both fiords, 
with their coves and bays, into which the Omnisjok and other 
mountain waters plunged with a sullen roar. Through many 
ravines, and over many steep slopes, and boundless mossy swards 
and stoneless wastes, his sturdy horse bore him safely along. 
From time to time he saw rising smoke in the distance, and the 
wind bore along the faint sound of tinkling bells. In several 
of the deep, bush-covered ravines, which ran down to the sea- 
shore, he thought he saw herds of horned animals. He was 
sure that the Lapps wandered there with their cattle, and were 
passing their summer pastoral life in his neighborhood without 
his being able to see a single gamme. 

And was it, then, a misfortune to live in this illimitable free- 
dom, and to be a son of the boundless waste ? The air was 
fresh and pure, the sun sparkling and warm ; springs gushed 
out of the rocks, which were thickly covered with blue and red 
mountain-flowers and fragrant shrubs. The cares of men who 
called themselves refined and civilized, did not reach there, 
where nothing more was necessary for the support of life than 
reindeer’s meat and milk, a gun for the chase, a net for fishing, 
six props and a piece of coarse cotton cloth for a tent. The 
musing traveller left his horse to take his own course, while his 
thoughts reverted to Gula, who lived in some of these deep- 
sunken valleys, where anemones bloomed, and a foaming brook 
rushed through the gentian-bushes, and where she, probably, 
was sitting by a waterfall, thinking of him. 


300 


AFRA JA. 


Thus meditating, he looked anxiously around; for he seemed 
to hear his name called. It was only imagination, however A 
snow-hen, colored brown by the summer, flew, with a shrieking 
cry, through the birch-bushes. Far in the distance, upon a 
rocky peak, which rose up like an isolated column, a motionless 
figure was seen, leaning upon a staff. 

He could not discover whether it was a human being or a 
rock. It was, probably, Afraja himself; but the traveller had 
no desire for a nearer examination. When, in his romantic 
dreams, he praised this pastoral life, the reality advised him 
that it must, however, have many disagreeable features which 
a cultivated man could with difficulty support. Swarms and 
clouds of scarcely visible gnats, together with stinging flies 
of every kind, and the great reindeer-fly, which inflicts the 
most acute pain, gathered around his horse. He could now ap- 
preciate the truth of what he had often heard of these torments. 
Men and animals, in the summer season, suffer almost insup- 
portable pain from the myriads of winged insects with poisonous 
stings that infest these high plains. For this reason, the Lapp 
fills his gamme with a dense smoke, to drive off these torment- 
ors ; for this reason, the reindeer compels his master to follow 
him down to the sea-coast ; where, on the cool fiords, the breeze 
blows away his winged plagues. 

The traveller was glad enough when he reached the yellow 
edge of the fjeld, and the Lyngenfiord lay beneath his eye. 
There, deep down before him, expanded the blue sea-basin; and 
in the rocky cove he discerned Helgestad’s red house, peering 
out of the green grove of birches. A home-sick feeling rose 
in the breast of the young man. The Balsfiord, with its lovely 
little valleys, woods, and the rushing stream, was, no doubt, a 
more romantic, and, at the same time, a more fruitful scene ; 
yet all there below appeared to him much more beautiful and 
friendly. He guided his horse down into the steep-sinking 
ravine; and in half an hour he had descended, and could wave 
his hat, with a loud hurrah, to his female friends, wlun his 


A F R A ,T A . 


301 


horse climbed up the rocky ridge. Ilda and Hannah, who were 
sitting at table in the middle of the grass-plot before the man- 
sion, had no sooner perceived him than they rose to welcome 
him, each after her own manner. 

Hannah ran towards him with loud expressions of gratifica- 
tion ; Ilda laid aside the work she was sewing, but advanced 
not a step ; yet, when the long-desired guest stood before her 
and extended his hand, her eyes and face warmed up with 
such a genuine glow of welcome, that he gazed upon her with 
unwonted delight. 

How much was there to talk about ! He could not have hit 
it better. Paul Petersen and Bjornarne had, a week before, 
gone a bird-hunting to the Loppen Island. The two young 
maidens were alone at home. Hannah brought Helgestad’s 
arm-chair, with the Holland tobacco and stately pipe. Ilda pre- 
pared the coffee in her careful manner, and now, sitting between 
his two protectresses, he was obliged to describe his mode of 
life and adventures at Balsfiord. In return, amid jest and 
laughter, he received a full account of all that had occurred at 
Orenaes in his absence. It was not, in truth, much ; but yet 
it gave him pleasure , to hear it. Ilda had made an attempt to 
plant potatoes in her little garden, which had waxed into strong 
weeds ; behind the windows were a couple of pots with green 
herbs, and Hannah believed that Olaf had not in vain sowed 
oats, which had shot up in thin stalks. Otherwise, nothing 
had changed. A new maid-servant had been hired, an old man 
had died, and pastor Heinrick Sture had again preached on the 
last Sunday. 

“ And where is my old friend Klaus ?” asked Marstrand. 

“ Quite near at hand,” said Hannah. “We have news that 
he was at Tromsoe some days since. Now he is travelling 
around among the islands, and will soon be here — soon be 
here,” she repeated, with a glance at Ilda. 

Marstrand made some inquiries after Helgestad, and learned 
that the day before a neighbor who had returned from Bergen 
26 ’ 


302 


AFR A J A. 


had met him there, in good health and spirits. The fish-trade 
was extraordinarily good ; and the oldest people scarcely ever 
remembered such prices; Niels could be expected back every 
hour ; for both his yachts were laden when the neighbor left 
the harbor. 

TA.11 seemed good and favorable for the young settler. He sat 
smiling and calculating in Helgestad’s chair, as if his spirit had 
taken possession of him. He reckoned over his profits, and 
quietly strengthened his hopes of success. As he surveyed the 
naked, poor, rocky soil, from which with difficulty a few oat- 
stalks could be gathered, he recognised, for the first time, the 
superiority of the land at Balsfiord. The sea was there more 
prolific in fish than any one had dreamed. Olaf himself was 
astonished at it ; and then the woods, with their great trees, 
extended for miles ; while only here and there a scanty growth 
of birch was to be seen in the hollows and on the slopes. The 
more he thought of it, and the more comparisons he instituted, 
the more assured was he that he owned a choice spot ; and when 
Helgestad should bring back the fish-earnings, money would 
abound. 

He had thus far only carelessly inquired after Bjornarne and 
Petersen, and their journey, satisfied with the good-luck of 
finding the secretary absent : he now learned more of this 
subject. The rocky island of Loppen belonged to Helgestad; 
it was the brooding place of innumerable swarms of birds. At 
this season, when there was so little to do at home, Bjornarne 
had fitted out a sloop to carry off the stock of feathers, which, 
in the latter part of autumn, were to be sent for sale to Bergen. 
Petersen had accompanied him, to assist in the gathering of 
the rich product ; or, as Marstrand secretly thought, to examine 
it more closely, in order to estimate its worth. 

The absence of the repulsive bridegroom was so pleasing, 
that he could not suppress his feelings. u So, I have come in 
good season,” he exclaimed, u as I find the house occupied by 
forlorn women, whom I can protect, if necessary.” 


AFRAJA. 


303 


“ It is to be hoped that our tranquillity will not be disturbed/' 
answered Hannah ; “ but we are gratified that our solitude is 
animated by the presence and sympathy of so chivalrous a 
gentleman." 

“ Willingly do I enter upon my former duty/' continued 
Marstrand, smiling ; “and will remain until Herr Helgestad 
anchors at the packing-house. I will help where I can, and 
will forget that I am banished from Orenaes, and think the 
time has come back' again when my kind protectress Ilda took 
me under her teaching, and gave me her favor." 

“Has she then withdrawn it?" mischievously inquired 
Hannah. “ Herr Marstrand has left such a good character 
behind him, that everybody speaks of him with love and 
gratification. The old fishermen have almost as much to tell 
of him as the young ladies." 

“ And what says Miss Ilda ?" resumed Marstrand. 

“She says," she replied, “that Hannah is a mischievous 
prattler; yet she is right in saying that no day passes by 
without talk of you. We have all missed you, dear John; and 
now that you have returned, we hope to hold you as long as we 
possibly can." 

“ At best, we will bind him in fetters, so that he cannot go," 
exclaimed Hannah, while she took Ilda's thread, and tied him 
fast, placing the ends in her friend's hands. 

“ Presumptuous maiden !". said Ilda ; “ we must devise 
another means to keep this young lord in good-humor. Sing 
him a song of home, while I put the house to rights." 


CHAPTER XIII. 


What delightful days Marstrand passed in the quiet man- 
sion, alone with his female friends ! When he awoke the next 
morning, the sun was shining in his chamber — the same which 
he had formerly occupied. How clean, bright, and friendly was 
all — how noiseless was the house — how beautifully green lay 
the green grass-plot before him, with its fringe of birch-bushes ! 
There was no sound of Helgestad's rough voice, no hammering 
in the warehouse, no cries on the fiord ; but everywhere the 
reddish sun-light and blue sky, so pure and mild, as if this cold 
land of the north, by some magic, had been transported to the 
south. He remained standing for a long while at the little 
window ; and never did this retired settlement appear to him 
so fair. He suddenly saw Ilda leave the house, and, at the same 
moment, the golden day-star rose over the rugged rocks on the 
Kaafiord, and threw its rays upon the little garden, its flowers, 
and the young maiden, who, with folded hands, gazed around 
upon the beauteous picture. A light glimmer played round 
her long brown tresses ; the slender form, in dark attire, stood 
reverentially still, until her serious countenance broke into a 
smile, as she plucked some flowers, and arranged them into a 
bouquet. After a few minutes, she disappeared again in the 
house, and then Marstrand heard her light tread on the steps, 
and in the next chamber; when he opened the door, he found 
a glass upon the table, from which the various-colored flowers 
welcomed him with their sweet perfume. 


( 304 ) 


AFRA J A . 


305 


He regarded them with deep emotion. They were pinks 
and mignonettes, dark red gilliflowers, and, in the middle, a 
bunch of bright forget-me-nots. He bent down to them, 
pressed them to his lips, and then looked around to see if no 
one was observing him. A strong excitement agitated his 
heart ; he was, several times, on the point of fastening one of 
the flowers in his coat, but he replaced it ; as he descended the 
stairs, he was met by Ilda, who chided him for his long sleep. 
“ I was standing by your wards, and what they said to me was 
so grateful, that I forgot everything else.” 

“You should not forget; but let us be happy. The days 
come and go, and if they have joy for us, we will draw from 
them consolation against the sorrow that may follow them.” 

Five times the sun rose and sank in short night, which 
had now again drawn on, for August had arrived j the weather 
was that of the fair summer, and when the darkness, with soft 
shadows, overspread the fiord, and the highest mountain sum- 
mits alone wore their roseate crowns, the moon rose over the 
dark horn of the Kilpis, and, wonderfully clear and gleaming, 
scattered its mysterious beams over the dark waters of the fiord 
and the bays and inlets. 

No one, during this period, visited the settlement. The men 
had all gone with Helgestad to Bergen, or with Bjornarne to 
Loppen. Such of the old fishermen as remained in the vicinity, 
were catching sey fish in the gulf of Aloen. There were only 
two maid-servants in the house ; and, as on the estates of this 
remote north, there is as little to do with cattle as agriculture, 
Helgestad’s three cows and two horses pastured in the moun- 
tain gorges under the charge of a boy, who drove them out and 
in. The warehouses were all closed, and the shop did no busi- 
ness. The shepherds on the mountains had bought what they 
required ; it was only in the autumn that the people provided 
themselves with provisions for the winter : in this season of 
rest, there was nothing for industrious women and girls to do 
but to put the linen, beds and furniture in order, to clean the 
26* u 


306 


A F It A J A . 


houses, or to travel with their husbands and brothers, and to 
take as much recreation as they could. 

During the forenoon, John assisted his friends at one thing 
or another, who banteringly solicited his aid in small services ; 
or he sat in the great-leaved bean arbor reading from one of the 
books which Klaus Hornemann had lately sent from Tromsoe. 
Holberg and Tullin were then the favorite authors of the 
Danes. Holberg, a Norwegian, from his birth in Bergen, was 
highly esteemed ; the worthy parson, for the first time, sent to 
Lyngenfiord a number of volumes of plays, poems, and the sati- 
rical romance of Nicholas Klimm's subterranean journey, 
which Holberg had written in Latin, but of which a translation 
was immediately made. 

Marstrand enthusiastically fell upon these treasures, for he 
had long been deprived of the pleasure of reading books, and 
of perusing the semi-weekly little half-sheet gazette of Copen- 
hagen, some copies of which Hornemann had also added. He 
was personally acquainted with the intellectual professor Hol- 
berg, and he entertained his attentive listeners with some inter- 
esting sketches of the life of his original and witty friend. 
When the domestic labors were over, he read one of the droll, 
keen, characteristic plays, which from beginning to end was 
accompanied with peals of laughter. When the evening came on, 
he walked with both the maidens over the rocks to the fiord, or he 
took the oar and rowed the little boat over the mirror-like gulf, to 
a picturesque waterfall, or to a promontory, upon which stood a 
solitary tree, and from whence the view extended to the distant 
islands and to the snowy mountains of Senjenoen. In one of 
these excursions, darkness came on before they started homeward; 
when the moon arose, the sea, gently agitated by the evening 
breeze, broke in silvery cascades against the rocks ; the little 
boat drove before the breeze, and Marstrand, laying aside the 
oars, spoke and jested in respectful confidence with Ilda and 
Hannah. The guitar sounded soft and sweet over the gently- 
heaving water, accompanied with songs which awoke the poor 


AFRAJA. 


307 


fishermen and tljeir wives from their sleep ; it seemed as if the 
mermaids and trolls had ascended from their crystal palaces 
and grottoes, and sat singing upon the waves. 

During these charming days, Marstrand was frequently alone 
for hours at a time, with Ilda or Hannah, but he had as little 
chance to speak of his own affairs as of those of others. At 
last, however, on one occasion, when he was sitting with 
Hannah in the arbor, he asked in a subdued tone, if the 
hearts of the two betrothed had grown nearer to each other. 

“ Do you ask after my heart ?” replied Hannah, after thread- 
ing her needle. “ What I posses of it lies in the sea, whence 
it can never be fished up.” t 

“ Have you heard nothing since from the south ?” asked 
Marstrand, agitating another subject. 

“ But little,” she replied. “ Two weeks ago, a sloop arrived 
at Tromsoe, with letters for me from my father and brother, 
who are now again in Bergen. My father sent me his blessing, 
and my brother wrote me that he regretted he was not on the 
spot, when, as he supposes, I was forcibly carried off. If any 
force should be used to make me marry Bjornarne, nothing 
could prevent him from rescuing me. The good Christi has 
always loved me tenderly, but he does not know all the facts.” 
“ And what answer did you make him ?” 

“ What should I answer him ? I sent a note to Tromsoe 
for the sloop on her return voyage. In it I wrote, 1 Dismiss 
all care, dear Christi, I am Bjornarne’s betrothed of my own 
good will, and long for the day when Helgestad’s son shall be 
my husband. Then we will come to you at Bergen, where you 
yourself can see how it is with me.’ ” 

“ Oh, Hannah !” murmured Marstrand. 

“What is this warning word, my friend John?” she 
answered. “My life is bound to that of Bjornarne; and what 
is written must be fulfilled. The Lord has given, and the 
Lord has taken. He took from me, and he gave to me. And 
what say the holy books : ‘ Honor the will of your father, that 


308 


AFRAJA. 


! # 

it may go well with you, and your days may be long on earth/ 
What say the laws and customs of men ? They require sub- 
mission, and know nothing of the feelings of the heart. 

Helgestad” she drew a long and deep breath; “I saw 

him when in that fearful night I lay on the deck, and a cry 
broke upon my ear, which I yet hear waking in broad day. 
His face was over me, his eyes full of fire ; his breath hot as 
hell upon my cold forehead. I awoke, and heard him laugh, 
and exultingly exclaim ; * Now you are mine, and neither God 
nor Satan could have you, were they to seek you. You leave 
not Orenaes Gaard but as Bjornarne’s bride !’ 

“ Observe, John Marstrand !” she said, with reanimated 
countenance, u these words strengthened me wonderfully, and 
yet support me. Helgestad’s greedy eyes, his cruel laugh, and 
the iron, God-defying will of this powerful man, made a strong 
impression upon me. If God can bear it, you also must bear 
it, said a voice within me. liaise yourself up and obey him. 
That have I done to this hour.” 

“ And Bjornarne ?” 

A triumphant smile played around her mouth. u I believe 
all my friendship has availed but little with him. The closer 
I endeavor to approach him, the more he draws back. Now 
he is entirely dependent upon his friend, Paul Petersen, who 
persuaded him to the journey to Loppen, and is his secret 
adviser in all things.” 

“ Be then on your guard, Hannah, for you may be sure mis- 
chief is brewing.” 

“ What could happen to me ?” she replied ; u I am an humble, 
submissive maiden, and await God’s will. Let him come who 
has been selected as the master of my destiny. I am no 
victim, John Marstrand. I’m as tranquil as a priestess. 
Victims suffer from fear and pain ; I suffer not, but am, as you 
see me, cheerful and of good heart. I praise God’s wisdom 
and mercy; look around me, and recognise the way of the Lord. 
There are victims in this solitary house, and I see them suffer ; 


AFRAJA. 


309 


but I am not one of them. Ilda” she looked at him with 

a penetrating stare ; “ she has the noblest, truest heart.” 

“ A strong heart, which is never too warm, and will bear 
whatever God may inflict upon her,” murmured Marstrand. 

“ The strongest heart may also break,” said Hannah ; “ Ilda 
is unhappy.” 

“ Unhappy !” 

“ Do you not see it ? Is not the secret, despite all her 
efforts to conceal it, revealed upon her face ?” 

“What secret?” he asked, astounded. 

“That she loves where she ought to love, and that she hates 
where she should hate.” 

Hannah left Marstrand completely confounded. 

Late in the evening he went with Ilda alone in the little 
boat across the fiord, to visit a curious chasm, where the 
water formed a whirlpool, which lost itself in the deep recesses 
of the rock. The moon illuminated the tranquil sea, and its 
fine clear light glimmered in the dark cleft, where the waves 
dashed themselves into feathery surf. A heavy sound burst 
from the cavern, now swelling into thunder, and then subsiding 
into a soft, plaintive moan. Without, all was silent; only the 
blue, mysterious light of the night hovered over the eternal, 
gigantic mountains, guardians of this wild coast. 

The boat had for some time floated around the chasm, upon 
the surface of the gently heaving sea. Marstrand had laid the 
oar aside, and sat by Ilda. Both listened to the wonderous 
sounds which issued from the dark ocean caves. 

“ I remember,” at length said John, “ that a saga relates a 
curious history of this cavern. Is it not an unhappy sea 
nymph which weeps and sighs there beneath the water ?” 

“A poor, beautiful fairy, whom a giant holds in chains that 
cannot be broken,” replied Ilda. 

“ Now I know it. The giant had carried off the fairy, and 
compelled her to become his wife. He was a wild, malicious 
fellow; but he was great and powerful, and a king in the 


310 


AFRAJ A. 


watery dominions there beneath. Sometimes he permitted her 
to leave the cavern, which formed the entrance to his crystal 
and golden palace, and then she sat in the moonlight, upon the 
peak of the rock, twining wreaths of grass and flowers, and 
singing songs, and enjoying herself in the earthly air, until her 
gloomy husband sounded his horn to recall her to her sea home. 
It happened that a young fisherman met her; and every night 
when the sweet queen ascended the rock, he sat by her side. 
Then he gazed in her soft, clear eyes, smoothed her golden hair, 
smiled, and fondled with her little white hands. He said not 
a word of that of which his heart was full; but she was con- 
scious of it all ; and when the sullen horn sounded, and she 
sadly rose to depart, he knew that she also loved him.” 

While Marstrand thus spoke, he had taken Ilda’s hand, 
which he held fast in his own, and leaned towards her. 

u It happened that once she did not hear the horn as they 
sat together,” said Ilda, softly. 

u Because,” continued Marstrand, (( the fair water-witch had 
lain her head on the bosom of the young man, who embraced 
her with both arms.” 

“ After the horn had sounded a third time, so that the moun- 
tains shook to their foundations, an arm was extended from the 
cavern, followed by a monstrous head. The giant raised him- 
self up, reached round over all the rocks, and with a finger he 
crushed the poor fisherman, and with a grasp drew the unfaith- 
ful one into the dark abyss.” • 

u It happened so,” said Marstrand, " because the fairy could 
not resolve to be free and happy. I love you, had the youth 
whispered to her; come, accompany me. Do you see the grey 
streak in the East ? It will soon be red there, and the sun will 
come; the children of night have then no more power over 
you. Trust me ; my arm is strong, and I will bear you away ; 
let us live to be happy. She thought of the oath she had 
taken ; she removed the dark hand that clasped her waist ; and 


AFEAJA. 311 

now lies she there in white glowing chains, weeping and moan- 
ing, and the fiendish giant laughs at her misery.” 

With a gentle exertion Ilda loosened John’s hand from her 
waist, for he held her in his arms . — u She did right,” said she, 
“ and her punishment was not undeserved. Ply your oar, or 
we shall be drawn into the abyss and be swallowed up.” 

“ In death with you, Ilda !” he hastily exclaimed. 

11 Shall that be your end, John ?” she replied. “ Have you 
nothing more to hope and desire ; and do you not believe God 
has yet much to require of you ?” 

“ You will live !” he bitterly exclaimed aloud. 

“ Yes,” she responded; “I will live, because it is my duty; 
because I have received life to do good, and cannot commit 
Bin.” 

He gazed in her eyes, upon which the moonlight was shining. 
She tenderly responded to his glance. Suddenly a loud laugh 
was heard above their heads, and a voice began to speak, which 
penetrated to Marstrand* s core. — “ By heavens and the holy 
Olaf !” shouted a man from the summit of the rock,” it is Ilda, 
hovering around the witch’s cave. Here, Bjornarne, come up 
hither ; it is your sister, who is praying to the Nornes for us. 
And who is that ? Herr Marstrand, as sure as I live ! Good 
luck to your house, Herr ; or rather to your hand ! Bring your 
little boat out from among the eddies and rocks, and keep my 
dear treasure until I can kiss her fresh lips.” 

“ Is it you, Paul ?” exclaimed Ilda to him. “ Where do 
you come from ? Where is the sloop ?” 

“If she is not here yet, she will come. We landed in 
Maursound, because a vessel without wind is like a wife with- 
out a heart, cold and monotonous. I beg you, Herr, come-to 
there in the cleft, and take me on board. Bjornarne has run 
on, but I am tired with this break-neck tramp over the rocks.” 

With an inward regret Marstrand directed the skiff to the 
designated spot, to which only a sure-footed and light-limbed 
man like Paul could descend, and jump into the boat. 


312 


A FRA J A. 


Paul threw his gun and leather pouch aside, and took the seat 
alongside of Ilda, which Marstrand had left to ply the oar. He 
unceremoniously clasped his arms around his betrothed, and 
kissed her, amid all kinds of jests and tender oaths, and shook 
Marstrand by the hand, all the while inquiring after the cause 
of this unlooked-for visit. 

u Five days already here !” he exclaimed. “ Had I dream- 
ed of it, I would not have given myself so much anxiety and 
trouble. I was always harassed by the thought of Lyn gen- 
fiord and Orenaes Gaard, where my beloved Ilda sat grieving 
in loneliness. How oft have I stood upon the high cliffs of 
Happen, and gazed into the distance ! It seemed to me as if I 
could see you with eyes full of devotion, and your heart long- 
ing after your true Paul; but instead, it appears your guest; 
has rendered the time short enough.” 

u We have passed many pleasant hours,” said Ilda. 

“ That I believe / ’ said Paul, smiling. “I know that Mar- 
strand understands the art of amusing the ladies, and that none 
can resist his fascinations. Even the little Gula fell into dan- 
ger, and was turned to a pillar of salt. Have you heard nothing 
of her, worthy friend ? Has she not suddenly appeared at 
Balsfiord ?” 

“ I know nothing of her,” said Marstrand, with as much 
composure as possible, to conceal his anger. — He had thus far 
not said a word of Gula, and Ilda had not asked after her, for 
good reasons. 

He now joined in the conversation and inquired after the 
events of the journey and the residence at Loppen, while he 
applied himself to the oars. 

“ Were you ever there ?” asked Paul. 

“ Never.” 

u By heavens, a blessed little spot ! High precipices sur- 
round it, against which the raging sea beats in heavy surges. 
There is only one practicable landing, and in the interior, the rocks 
are torn and split asunder, as if riven by a thousand thunder- 


APRAJA. 


313 


bolts. A man might lie concealed in its fastnesses and caverns 
for years, without being discovered. Sweet Ilda! how glad 
I am again to be at your feet, to press you to my beating heart, 
and to sail with you over this smooth, moonlit fiord ! Herr 
Marstrand, you seem to me like Saturn, carrying Cupid and 
Venus through the sea of life; I pray you only to be slower, 
that we may prolong the enjoyment of the pleasure.” 

Paul laughed. “What say you to that, my Venus ?” he 
exclaimed. 

“ I say,” replied Ilda, “ that the boat will upset, unless you 
keep quiet/' 

“That would be romantic, poetic, dramatic!” said he. 
“What think you of such a ducking, Herr Marstrand?” 

“ Are there any bears in Loppen ?” asked the latter. 

“ The devil take all bears !” 

“There are none there; otherwise the valiant Paul had 
remained at home,” exclaimed Hannah, who was standing on 
the shore steps at the warehouse awaiting the boat, which was 
now close to the landing. 

“ Received as always,” said the secretary with a laugh ; “ by 
my magnanimous friend with a somewhat stale wit.” 

“ Which, however, is always good enough,” she replied, as 
she turned round and with a loud shout of “ Bjornarne !” 
hurried towards him as he entered the courtyard of the mansion. 

Tkdy were soon sitting in the stuga,, where Petersen enter- 
tained them with a description of the journey, and the bird- 
hunting at Loppen. The expected sloop was laden with bags 
of fcaiheTs, for an unusual number of birds had been taken in 
that year. The great three-toed gulls, the Auks, the many 
specie* of ducks, the northern pelicans, together with innu- 
merable divers, sea-pigeons, rotten and lummen made up the 
rich booty. Paul described, in animated style, the dangerous 
taking of the birds; upon the highest and steepest cliffs, where 
the young were stolen from the nests, the nests themselves 
divested of their soft feathers, and the old ones were beaten to 
27 


314 


AFR A J A. 


death by thousands in the air, with poles. For these simplo 
birds are stupid enough,” said Paul, “ to fly screaming in thick 
swarms around their nests, instead of putting their heads in 
security.” 

“ It is cowardly, inglorious murder,” exclaimed Hannah ; 
“ I do not see how men can find associates in it. Hunt the 
wolf, snare the fox, overtake the swift reindeer, and measure 
yourself with the bears — but the bear, Paul Petersen, the bear 
is a terrible creature, which should only be approached by one 
who has swift legs.” 

Paul joined in the laugh against himself; but in his false 
eyes, anger flashed at the jest. “ In future,” said he, “ we will 
send you to Loppen, where you can harangue the assembled 
birds, and persuade them to pluck and roast themselves/ ' 

“ Let every one apply himself to what suits him. It is not 
proper for a woman to do what may put anxious mothers in 
fear.” 

“ Oh ! tender-hearted daughter of the herring-king of the 
German bridge,” exclaimed Paul, laughing; “how much I 
admire your noble heart ! For the benefit of your nerves, you 
should make a voyage to Loppen, and take instructions from 
Anga, the wife of the honest Egede Wingeborg, who excels all 
others in whipping off heads, and skinning birds.” 

“Who is Anga, and who is Wingeborg?” asked Hannah. 

“ Wingeborg will have the honor to present himself to you 
to-morrow, if the sloop arrives. He is sole lord of Loppen, 
placed there as viceroy by Helgestad, a man to whom I un- 
questionably owe my life, and without whose aid I would have 
been dashed to pieces on the rocks.” 

“ Then blessed be Wingeborg !” said Hannah, “ for we 
would have died from grief.” 

Paul made a scornful bow. 

“Were you in danger?” inquired Ilda. 

“A little,” he replied; “but God was merciful to me, and 
Egede near at hand. You know,” said he, “that the lumrnen 
build their nests in the holes of the rocks, on the face of pre- 


V 

/ A PR A J A. 315 

cipices, oftei) a thousand feet below the summit of the cliffs, 
and as mahy.«?bove tKe surface of the sea. There they nestle 
by dozens, and crowd upon each other, so that when you have 
one by the neck, you have all. One seizes the other by the 
tail, and in this manner the whole chain is drawn up. Such 
sport is highly exciting. A rope, about twelve hundred feet 
long, is let down over a kind of wooden roller, the bird-catcher 
sits upon a cross-stick at its end, and beneath him swings a 
basket to receive the birds ; six or eight men lower him down, 
until he is suspended before one of the brooding holes. If he 
cannot reach the birds with his hand, he sends a small dog 
which he carries in the basket, into the cleft, to seize the first 
bird and draw it out until he can reach it. He then pulls in 
the dog, who, holding on to the neck of the prize with his 
teeth, drags the rest along also. 

“ The occupation is not, indeed, free from danger. The 
men above will not very easily let go their hold, although it has 
happened; the bird-catcher will hold fast to his cross-stick, although 
many a one has lost his balance and broke his neck ; the worst 
is, when the rope begins to turn round, and the bird-catcher is 
whirled about, like a top, until senseless from giddiness, he falls 
into the abyss beneath, or dashes out his brains against a pro- 
jecting crag. And that would have been my fate but for Egede. 
I was hanging to a cliff by a seven-hundred feet rope ; I was 
seven masts high above the sea, when a gust of wind set me 
whirling. At first I laughed; then I swore, and at last I 
raised a death-shriek ; for it was dark around me. Suddenly a 
man slid down the rope and stood with his legs right and left 
on the cross-stick, snatched the grappling-stick out of my hand, 
stuck the point in a crevice of the rock, and, with a spring, 
leaped upon a ledge no broader than a hand. In the next mo- 
ment, he drew near the rope, held it fast, then cautiously set- 
tled it by swaying it to and fro, and burst out into a rough 
laugh. In a minute more, I unconsciously stood alongside of 
him. We advanced along the ledge to where it widened. There 


316 


f 


A F II A J A . 


t 



were holes and clefts, and auks and lummensin^rwarms* It 
was a wonderful haul. Above us, was trfe splinfc|;echprecipice ; 
beneath, the sparkling sea; shrieking swarms of birds flew 
around our heads, beating us with their beaks and wings, until 
we were bespattered with blood. We took and killed great 
numbers until all was quiet. Egede then bound me fast, gave 
the sign, and I was drawn up without difficulty. We hauled 
him up afterwards, and he brought with him a basketful of 
game ; so much, indeed, that Anga did not know how she could 
preserve and salt it all.” 

“ Anga is, I perceive, the housewife of your worthy friend 
Wingeborg,” said Hannah. 

u She is the most charming and most thick-headed beauty, 
of genuine Finnish stock, that ever wandered about in Finn- 
mark without shirt or stockings, in a blouse of sheep-skin ;” 
said Paul, laughing. u You must know, Herr Marstrand, that 
the Ausen islands are a kind of paradise for innocence and 
tranquillity, and that no one visits them who would take um- 
brage at such a costume. My friend Wingeborg, his Anga and 
children, all alike rough and shaggy, live there in undisturbed 
freedom. Anga herself does not need the sheep-skin ; for she 
might cover herself with her own hair, as the fair Countess 
Genovesa once did. Wingeborg has no cause for jealousy. He 
is a magnificent fellow. If we were Greeks, we would chisel 
him in marble. Tender hearts must beware of him when he 
comes to-morrow.” 

Bjornarne took but little part in this conversation, and all 
that he said appeared to be the result of a reluctant effort. 
Marstrand manifested the most profound indifference, as well 
to Hannah’s efforts to divert him, as to Paul Petersen’s talk ; 
and he leaned back in the arm-chair with half-closed eyes. In- 
stead of an improvement, which Marstrand supposed had taken 
place, ^matters had actually grown worse. He gazed upon his 
once gay and reckless young friend, Bjornarne, with secret sad- 
ness. His features had now grown sharper; his eyes were 


A F II A J A . 


317 


sunken, and their expression was restless and unsteady, and 
apparently incapable of fixing their attention upon anything. 

These observations, which Marstrand made in the evening, 
he continued in the morning. No sympathetic inquiry crossed 
his lips. He avoided the lord of Balsfiord, and buried himself 
in the warehouse ; leaving Paul Petersen to seek an explana- 
tion of this unwelcome visit to Lyngenfiord. 

Marstrand was reserved, but the secretary was too sagacious 
not to conceive the state of things from the answers which he 
elicited. He knew more than Marstrand himself ; and, with 
secret satisfaction, observed how much Helgestad’s plans had 
been advanced — much further, indeed, than he had hoped. 

There was no order in the new settlement ; the provisions 
were wasted, the money squandered, and Marstrand had come 
over in quest of aid ; the simpleton, Olaf, had sent him away, 
while he exerted himself to reduce the confusion to some sys- 
tem. Paul listened to all with great interest, gave good coun- 
sel, and, because he justly concluded that Marstrand would 
believe exactly the contrary of what he recommended, he 
eagerly sustained the opinions which Olaf had expressed. 

“ I can readily conceive,” said he, “ that the honest fellow 
is amazed at your proceedings, and there are but few, of a 
truth, Herr Marstrand, in the land who do not regard your 
undertaking as a very rash one.” 

“ You seem to share in their opinion,” said Marstrand, con- 
temptuously. 

“ They are right,” replied Paul. “ I formerly thought 
differently, but I now look at the matter with a closer and more 
practical eye.” 

“ I thank you for your advice.” 

“ I give it to you with pleasure,” continued the secretary 
jestingly; “and am of the opinion that we all may be bene- 
fited by counsel, even if we are endowed with an extraordinary 
share of wisdom.” 

The indignation of the young settler would have elicited 

27 # 


818 


AFRAJA. 


from him a more violent response, had not the expected sloop 
suddenly appeared upon the fiord. The mansion and surround- 
ing huts were instantly in commotion; women and children 
shouted to the new comers — for the six men who formed the 
crew, were on the deck, and as soon as the anchor was cast, the 
usual boisterous scene of welcome greeting took place. Every 
one had brought something for his family, a plume of feathers, 
bird-skins, or whole casks of salted bird’s meat, which was neither 
agreeable to the smell or taste. Marstrand also walked down 
to the landing. His female friends were accompanied by Paul 
and Bjornarne ; with no little mortification he observed the 
change which had all at once come over his prospects, and he 
would gladly have returned to Balsfiord. He looked on the 
animated scene before him with profound indifference, and it 
was only after a while that he observed a curious short-legged 
creature with small shoulders, very long arms, and a thin body, 
whom Paul was presenting to Ilda. The fellow wore a black 
tarpaulin hat, from under which his dirty yellow hair fell in wild 
disorder ; his head, which was disproportionably large for his 
body, increased the grotesqueness of his appearance. From his 
red and pock-marked face a small, stunted nose projected, and 
his mouth was adorned by puffy lips, and two rows of long 
white teeth, which he showed like a grinning ape. His ugli- 
ness was inpreased by his eyes, which appeared to have been 
completely inverted, and which rolled about so incessantly that 
it was almost impossible to divine upon what they were 
fastened. 

“Here, Ilda, is Wingeborg: my friend Egede, dearest 
Hannah,” exclaimed Paul, smiling. “A distinguished man, on 
account of his various qualities of body and soul ! Look at his 
legs, meagre, agile, and indefatigable as those of a mountain 
goat ; and these arms, long enough to reach to the bottom of a 
well, and attractive enough to draw a chain of auks from their 
hiding-places ; and that incomparable head, which ought to be qg 
placed on the shoulders of a diplomatc to render him inscru- 


AFRAJA. 


319 


tably profound. His swan-like neck is in keeping with the 
rest of his body ; and as to his heart, we know enough of it, 
from the fact that he holds the unworthy race of Lapps in 
abomination, with whom he refuses all companionship, neither 
permitting them to visit the Loppen with their herds, nor to 
settle there as colonists. All this demonstrates a keen and 
refined sensibility.” 

During this raillery of the secretary, Wingeborg kept rolling 
his eyes about in all directions, and exhibiting his teeth. Now 
and then, he thrust his spider-like fingers in his blue necker- 
chief, twisted his tarpaulin several times around his head, and 
burst out into a self-satisfied laugh. 

“I hear, Sorenskriver Petersen,” said he, “all that you say; 
and although I understand but little of it, I am much obliged 
to you for it.” 

“Dispense with ceremony, friend Wingeborg, as it comes 
from the heart.” 

“ Good ! do as you please,” said the Quane ; “ but I hope 
the maidens will believe what you say of me and the Lapps. I 
have had much to do in my life-time with the thieves, and I 
can smell them for miles.” 

“ And if you do not smell them, dear lord of the winged 
creation, your faithful leopards will. Where are they ?” 

“ Here,” said Wingeborg, pointing to the sack at his feet, 
which he shook until two little yellow and dark-spotted dogs 
made their appearance. They had sharp, weasel-like heads, 
long and slender bodies, stumped ears, very long tails, and 
were extremely nimble in all their movements. 

“Are they not,” said Paul, “charming creatures? They’ 
belong to the precious race of bird-catchers, which God in his 
goodness has especially created to ferret out the brooding holes, 
and to whom he has given a keener scent than any customs- 
inspector can boast of. They can track a Lapp by his foot- 
print, or the odor of his garment.” 

Both the little dogs occasioned many inquiries and caresses, 


320 


A F R A J A . 


to which they responded with lively demonstrations of gratitude 
in yelling and leaping upon their fondling friends. This scene 
was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a stranger upon 
the summit of the fjeld, waving his hat and shouting to the 
spectators below. From his long white hair, black pilgrim coat, 
broad-brimmed hat, and his staff, he was easily recognised as 
Klaus Ilornemann. Ilda went to meet him, but the soren- 
skriver laughed aloud, and leaned on Bjornarne's shoulder. 

“ Truly !” he exclaimed, “ we are a favored people. We are 
scarcely at home, when the pious bore, of whom we have 
already seen too much, makes his re-appearance. I assure you, 
Bjornarne, it is time to discover some means of getting rid of 
such people.” 

“We shall probably,” said Bjornarne, thoughtfully, “get 
some information from the pastor.” 

“ Do you believe he will tell the truth ? Guard yourself 
against him, and treat him coolly, or he will inflict upon you 
all kinds of moral lectures. I tell you the old fellow with his 
unctuous wisdom knows how to manage us. If you listen to 
him but for a moment, you are lost; be prudent, Bjornarne, or 
you will soon fall into his clutches.” 

They advanced to meet the pious man, who was coming 
toward the house, accompanied by Marstrand and the young 
girls. 

“Here I am again, my dear friends,” exclaimed the old 
man, “and God has granted me a great favor in finding you 
all together again, in good health.” 

“ We have had a pleasant time in Orenaes,” said Hannah, 
“ and, above all, the rare favor of the presence of the witty 
Paul ; but you, worthy man, you have not spared your gray 
hairs in wandering over the wilderness in this sweltering sum- 
mer heat.” 

“No, indeed,” responded Klaus, with an affectionate smile; 
“ I cannot think of myself. I have come by a circuitous route 
from Tromsoe. I was at Balsfiord, Herr Marstrand, and met 


AFR A J A. 


321 


there the honest Olaf, the faithful guardian of your property ; 
thence I passed over the peninsula and the fjeld to the Kilpis- 
jaure, and have now come to pass a few days on the borders of 
the cool fiord, with the permission of my dear little daughter, 
Ilda” 

“ You are heartily welcome, dear pastor,” replied Ilda. “ It 
will give us all pleasure to have you among us, as long as you 
see fit to remain here.” 

The old pastor, unstrapping his knapsack from his shoulders, 
proceeded to the house where Egede Wingeborg was sitting on 
a bench by the door. Upon his approach, the dogs of the bird- 
catcher jumped up with a loud yell, and sprang towards him 
with open mouth, and would have bitten him, but for the inter- 
position of their master. 

“ An inhospitable reception, Wingeborg,” said the old man, 
smiling. 

“ It may be,” replied the thick-headed Quane ; “ but a beast's 
nature springs also from God. The reception was not on your 
account, but on that of the society you have kept. Have you 
not, lately, been with the Lapps?” 

“Yes,” replied Hornemann; “Mortuno accompanied me, 
and carried my knapsack to yonder point above there, where he 
left me.” 

“ Am I not right ?” exultingly exclaimed Wingeborg. “ My 
dogs knew that a Lapp had been with you. It is the voice of 
God, that speaks from the animals.” 

“ My good friend,” said Hornemann, “ let the voice of God 
be heard by you, which says : 1 Love all men, for they are 
created in the image of God.' But what are you doing here 
at Lyngenfiord ?” 

Wingeborg replied that he was waiting Helgestad's arrival, 
to deliver him his annual stock of feathers, to settle his accounts 
and to make some purchases. The pastor, leaving Wingeborg 
outside, entered the house, where the whole settlement gathered 
around him, to greet him with respectful salutations, 
v 


822 


AFRAJA. 


Hornemann’s presence was a source of much gratification for 
Marstrand. His good star had unexpectedly brought him to 
the man of whose counsel and assistance he had much need, 
and whose presence held Paul Petersen in proper check. He 
was sure that the secretary had more dread of the old pastor, 
than of anybody else. He dared not interrupt the edifying 
discourse of the pastor in the evenings, or jest upon his zeal 
for the conversion of the heathen. Paul Petersen regarded 
him as a fool and miserable fanatic, who was honored only by 
foolish people ; but this reverential respect towards the pastor 
was so deep and universal, that Paul did not dare to oppose it 
openly. 

He sat in moody silence in the corner, revolving over his 
plans. He withdrew, as soon as he could, followed by Bjor- 
narne, leaving Marstrand alone with the pastor. The young 
Dane poured out his heart to his friend, and conversed with 
him far into the night, touching his affairs. 

“ Friend J ohn,” said the pastor at length, “ I have no prac- 
tical experience in such matters, and my advice must be one 
of questionable propriety. Had you spoken to me earlier 
on this subject, I would have advised you against engaging in 
so costly and extensive an undertaking, on account of your 
youth and inexperience. As Helgestad has encouraged you to 
it, it is his duty to assist and sustain you, and I believe he will 
do it, as he must be convinced that your labors were necessary 
to the success of your schemes.” 

“ I am satisfied that I have accomplished more than Helges- 
tad could have expected, and that by the next summer such 
progress will have been made as to render success certain.” 

“Then, be of good cheer, and work on steadily, without 
giving heed to envious and censorious remarks. I must always 
compare you with myself,” he continued, with a smile. “You 
are, indeed, in all the bloom of youthful strength, and in your 
whole character there is an energy that warms my old heart. 
But we are, nevertheless, alike. Ignorant and malicious men 


APRA J A. 


323 


misrepresent and reproach ns both. Narrow-minded people 
always despise and blame what they cannot understand. Do 
not be disquieted, my young friend. Even if a part of the 
reproaches cast upon you for indiscretion and rashness were 
true, you are yet a man, like all others, liable to err. Can 
there be light without shadow ? Superior minds err most and 
need examination, for they do more in one day than others in 
a lifetime. Gro on your way : it is a good one, I am sure.” 

“ Olaf has shown you my faults,” replied Marstrand. “ I 
have had too little care, heretofore, for my property; my 
expenditure has been profuse, and there is a great deal of dis- 
order for want of proper attention. But I will, henceforward, 
be more prudent.” 

“ It is too much for you,” said the old parson, laying his 
hand upon his shoulder. “ To set your house in order, there 
is but one sure means — to obtain a true-hearted, devoted wife, 
who will bring with her peace and joy.” 

Marstrand made an admonitory sign, while he cautiously 
looked around the quiet room, lest some one should be 
listening. 

“I could give you some information,” continued Klaus, 
“ did I not think I should displease you in reviving disagree- 
able recollections.” 

“Disagreeable recollections,” said Marstrand, with a sigh; 
“ I have many such.” 

“ It relates to a poor, deceived maiden,” said the pastor, 
after an expressive silence; “not intentionally deceived by 
you ; no, I do not mean so ; but by her own heart. It is a sad 
story of grief and misery, for which there is no relief. Chil- 
dren bear the sins of their parents; a curse descends from 
generation to generation, and the hated and despised must un- 
justly suffer, innocent as they may be in soul.” 

“ Of whom are you speaking,” asked Marstrand, whose face 
crimsoned with apprehension. 


324 


AFR A JA. 


“ Of one/’ replied the old man, in a soft voice, “ whose heart 
is filled with your image. 

“I speak of Gula,” he continued, as Marstrand kept silent; 
“ I have seen her.” 

‘‘Seen her ! and is she unhappy?” 

“ Do you think that Gula can be happy ?” 

“ Your voice sounds reproachfully,” said Marstrand, “and I 
deserve it ; but God knows my fault is not so great. Compas- 
sion for her fate, gratitude for her sympathy, a humane sensi- 
bility for the abandoned creature, and a solicitude for her wel- 
fare, led me to excite feelings,- the existence of which I 
perceived when too late.” 

“ I know all,” replied the pastor, “ and I do not blame you ; 
but Gula lives and hopes.” 

“ How can she hope ?” murmured J ohn to himself. 

“Because she loves,” said Klaus. “Love is a plant which 
never dies, even though it be deprived of light and air. Its 
head droops, and its leaves wither; but an immortal, celestial 
seed exists within it. She fondly dreams of past happiness, 
and with inflexible confidence trusts in the future. If you 
could see the poor child in her solitary sorrow, sustained by but 
one thought, and her eyes beaming with joy when she speaks 
of you, you would be deeply moved at her condition.” 

“Where is she? where does Afraja conceal her?” asked 
Marstrand. 

“ What avails it for me to name the place ?” 

“ Is she in the valley that Olaf discovered ?” 

“ Let me pass this over in silence,” replied the pastor ; “ I 
must not give occasion for new hopes. Afraja desires his 
daughter to marry Mortuno, and I am satisfied he acts wisely. 
Gula will give up her opposition when she is convinced there 
is no hope of the realisation of her foolish preference for you. 
You, yourself, need a bosom companion for your own happiness. 
Poor young friend ! I know what hopes your heart once 
cherished ; but can you not find a substitute among the maidens 


AERA J A. 


325 


whom you know ? Choose one, and I will support you. All 
that I can do for you by word and deed is at your service. A 
true wife will adorn and regulate your house, and Gula will, at 
the same time, be saved. She will no longer consume away 
her existence in fruitless sorrow and longing.” 

“ She will die,” said Marstrand, burying his face in his 
hands. 

“No! no!” replied the pastor; “she will live, if the only 
man of a strange people who has ever pressed her to his 
bosom, and called her his own, for ever separates from her.” 

“And shall I thus purchase a joyless and frightful existence? 
If you could, father., only see into my soul !” 

The pastor bowed his white head, and folded his arms. 
“ God has willed that his children should suffer from pain and 
affliction. Praised be the Lord !” 

“Not God,” said Marstrand, in anger, “who is love. No, it 
is these miserable, avaricious men, with their hatreds, who are 
responsible.” 

“And where are the pure and just?” asked the pastor, with 
uplifted hands. 

“ I feel it ! I feel it,” said the young man, with downcast 
eyes ; “ but what prevents me from becoming just ?” 

Klaus Hornemann ceased speaking, but his eye beaming with 
kindness, fell upon his friend. After a long pause he said : 
“ Tempt not God a second time ! He who would defy the pre- 
judices of his age, must be panoplied in seven-fold brass ! 
Where is the armor that would not melt before this fire of 
raillery, hate, contempt and shame ?” 

“I love only one,” responded Marstrand, earnestly; “and 
my heart has no room for another. That one is lost to me !” 

The pastor looked upon him with compassion, and kindly 
said, “ I hope you will overcome this passion with manly reso- 
lution, and the more so, as the maiden seeks to please her 
betrothed; and we all hope that Bjornarne’s heart may be 
turned to her.” 

28 


326 


AFRAJA. 


“Bjornarne?' replied Marstrand, standing np. “You were 
formerly in error, as now. I have never thought of Hannah 
Fandrem hut as a friend. There is another, father, one who 
loves me — yes, who warmly loves me in secret, and whom I 
would rather possess than the daughter of a king. But it is 
impossible. Between us is her father and a miserable, common 
man, a scoundrel of whom I expect the worst. To him has 
she been sworn, and to him must she belong.” 

“ Is it so ! my dear young friend ? I have thought as much, 
but have not believed it. Ilda ” 

“Hush,” said Marstrand; “let us not speak of that subject. 
I cannot hear the name without deep pain. Happy days have 
we passed, days of forgetfulness and hope, until we were sud- 
denly awakened from our dreams.” 

“ Be vigilant and prepared when the tempter approaches,” 
said Klaus, pressing his hands. 

“ Awake and prepared ! Yes,” answered the Bane. “ You 
know the strong sense of duty that governs the incomparable 
maiden ; but believe me, she despises the wretch who is forced 
upon her more than I do. Bjornarne is in his hands. Bo you 
know what has broken down the spirits of this once happy 
young man ?” 

Klaus Hornemann nodded assentingly. “I know all,” he 
said. “Gula took to flight to escape his passion.” 

“ And this passion is yet nourished and stimulated by Peter- 
sen,” continued Marstrand. “ I do not know his plans, but 
they must be directed to Bjornarne’s ruin. You would do him 
a favor to undeceive him.” 

“ I am come on purpose to speak with him,” said the pastor. 

“Then, delay not,” replied Marstrand, as he extended him 
his hand. “ I will think upon what you have communicated 
to me.” 


A F It A J A . 


327 


CHAPTER XI Y. 

On the next morning, Paul was sitting alone in the counting- 
room of his father-in-law at the writing-desk, carefully examin- 
ing the figures and items. 

“None but those acquainted with the subject can form an 
idea of the productive value of the naked craggy rocks of 
Loppen; but here it stands written. Feathers of Loppen pro- 
duced at market, in the first year, 2340 specie thalers ; and in 
the following year, 3785 specie thalers; and in the third year, 
4512 specie thalers ; and so forth, and so on,” said he ; “ for 
in this year the trade is yet better. Loppen must be mine ! 

Especially — but” his eye fell upon the spacious warehouse, 

and then upon the packing-houses and the vessels — “I do not 
see why all that the old fool has amassed in his lifetime should 
not be mine.” — At this moment he observed Marstrand accom- 
panying Ilda and Hannah to the garden, where he sat down 
and read to them. 

Paul Petersen’s countenance assumed a bitter expression. 
He smiled, while he menacingly shook his fist. “Wait, my 
noble youth !” he exclaimed, in a suppressed tone ; “ you will 
awake from dreams of love.” For a long time he stood behind 
the window, observing how the maidens in the garden gazed 
upon him as he read ; how they inclined the ear to him ; how 
their faces glowed with pleasure ; and how joyously they laughed. 
“Between the brown stately Pane and the wizen-faced secretary 
of Tromsoe, there is indeed a great difference. But you shall 
learn to know this difference, severe maiden, pattern of women, 
soft and patient as you may be. I will see you at my feet 
begging for mercy. I will reward your Christian, pious dispo- 
sition, and your contempt; for he is right, the Danish rascal; 


328 


AFRAJA. 


you despise me ! yes, more than he does, and yet I have a body 
and soul.” 

While he was thus speaking, Bjornarne entered. Paul 
turned and nodded to him.— a Open your eyes and do not look 
so gloomy, my young fellow,” he said; “I have many things 
to speak to you of. Were I like you, had I a beautiful maiden 
sitting there, who was up to the eyes in love with me, I would 
be happy beyond measure.” 

Bjornarne frowned, looked through the windows, and said, 
“ Would that I may never see that face again !” 

“ Patience, my son ; patience!” said Paul. “We shall get 
rid of these faces if you are prudent, and follow my advice. 
Collect all your senses and listen to what I say. As for 
that high-nosed, stiff-legged youngster, I think it is the last 
time he will show his face in Orenaes. As soon as your father 
returns I will speak a word with him, and I am convinced he 
will acknowledge that I am a sensible fellow. As to the worthy 
maiden of Bergen, you can easily shake her off.” 

“ May I be hung if I ever speak a friendly word with her !” 

“ Whenever you see her, you look as if you had swallowed a 
dose of rhubarb. Do not suffer yourself to be read through by 
every shallow-pated fellow ; be as cunning as the craftiest, and 
act like a man who knows how to execute his own plans.” 

“ What shall I do, then ?” asked Bjornarne. 

“ You should do as the fox,” said Paul Petersen, smiling, 
“ when he heard mass with the hens. He read with them out 
of the same book, and put on such a devout air, that they ad- 
mitted him in full confidence to their nests, and asked him to 
dine with them ; which he did so effectually that nothing was 
left of them but their feathers. Believe me, my dear fellow, 
he will be deceived; that is a law of heaven. One betrays the 
other; and he who is not betrayed belongs to the betrayers. 
Be keen and bold in all you undertake, and cunning and sly, 
and set your sails to every breeze. Unless you can act so, sub- 


\ 


A F R A J A . 329 

mit to fate and your father’s will. Be a good son ; let Hannah 
Fandrem kiss you, and draw’ the night-cap over your ears.” 

“ I do not understand your meaning,” said Bjornarne. “I 
cannot lie and deceive.” 

“ That is easily said,” responded Paul. “ Bo you know why 
old Klaus has come, and what he wishes ? He comes directly 
from Gula, and has his leather pouch full of sighs and greet- 
ings ; but none for you.” 

Bjornarne’s face was flushed with a deep red, and his inflamed 
eyes glared on the secretary. 

“ Not one tender sigh for you !” repeated Paul, bursting into 
a laugh ; “ but ten thousand for the faithless Dane there.” 

Bjornarne convulsively clinched his fist. “How do you 
know that?” he asked. 

“ I heard some of their conversation yesterday, when they 
supposed they were alone. The little black-eyed witch told the 
pastor that she had run off on account of your passion. Now 
she is sitting there, where Afraja has confined her, weaving 
wreaths and weeping for the dear John who is to free her from 
the filthy Mortuno.” 

“ Where is she ? Where does he keep her confined ?” ex- 
claimed Bjornarne, in a violent pitch of excitement. 

“ I do not know ; but you may rely upon it I will learn •” 
replied Paul. 

“The pastor will reveal it to me,” interrupted Bjornarne. 

“ You are a fool,” said Paul. “Utter not a word on the sub- 
ject, but seem as if all had passed away. You must control 
your countenance ; you must be able to laugh when he speaks 
of her, and must say to him it was a momentary act of forget- 
fulness, and that the simple Lapland girl must not imagine that 
you have any further thought of her.” 

“ Oh, that cannot be !” exclaimed Bjornarne, clasping his 
hands to his forehead. 

“ No ?” said Paul. “ I am sorry for it ; for I will tell you 
what the result would be : Klaus would deem it a duty to coin- 
28 * 


330 


A F II A J A . 


municate all that he knew to your father ; and you can readily 
divine the consequence. Your father will treat you as a de- 
mented person. He would strangle you before he would pardon 
you. Ask yourself if you can resist his powerful hand.” 

Bjornarne furiously gnashed his teeth ; but the wicked secre- 
tary was perfectly right in his calculation that the name alone 
of the father would exercise a wonderful influence upon the son. 

“ Will you now listen to my counsel ?” said Paul, after ob- 
serving him for a moment with unsuppressed scorn. 

“ Speak on,” said Bjornarne. 

“ And will you also follow it? for only on this condition can 
you hope for success.” 

“ I will do as much as I can.” 

“ A man can accomplish all that he wishes,” exclaimed the 
secretary; “and believe me, when you have made a beginning 
it is easy to continue. What signifies lying, dissembling, and 
deceiving, of which foolish people profess such horror ? It is 
nothing else than to be circumspect and cautious, and to take 
advantage of circumstances. And do you suppose the virtuous 
do not act on these principles ? The old gray-headed pastor 
knows where Gula is concealed as well as our man of honor 
and conscience, the Dane. Ask them where the maiden is hid, 
and they will assure you, with the most honest faces in the 
world, that they know nothing of her. The Danish vagabond 
has undoubtedly spoken with the devil's son, Afraja, more than 
once, and he told me to the face he had not seen him. Let a 
man do what he may, he must not suffer himself to be surprised. 
Undertake whatever you please, but do not perform it so as to 
provoke ridicule. Pursue your aim, whatever it may be ; em- 
ploy every means; lie, blame, deceive, whenever necessary; but 
do not be a man of whom it can be said, ‘ he has been caught 
at his tricks like a school-boy.' ” 

Bjornarne had listened with great attention. He felt ashamed 
at the satirical admonitions of the secretary. “ Do not believe, 
however,” said he, “ that I will suffer myself to be so easily 
taken.” 


A F 11 A J A . 


331 


“ Act so then,” answered Paul. u An ignorant man shows 
himself as he is; an educated man uses his understanding. 
You must desist from your present behavior to Hannah, but you 
must be polite and agreeable, as her beauty merits. Deceive 
them all, or give them up. Say yea to all, laugh and excuse 
yourself, be of good cheer, and think you are lying in Gula's 
arms, when you kiss Hannah. The pastor has undertaken to 
convert you into an amiable bridegroom, and to reconcile you 
with your friend John ; do not resist his efforts.” 

“I hate him the most,” angrily murmured Bjornarne. 

“ Do you think that I love him ?” said Paul, smiling ; “ but 
what signifies hate, without the hope of revenge ? The day 
will come when we shall be able to revenge ourselves ; when he 
shall be driven off like a dog, and shall be pursued with uni- 
versal infamy and shame.” 

a And at last, Paul Petersen ?” 

“ Have no fear. Play your part well, and I will help you. 
In a few days, I will know where Gula is concealed. We will 
free her from the villain Mortuno, and you shall have your little 
treasure again. See !” he exclaimed, looking up to the window, 
a there glides the worthy Klaus about among the warehouses. 
He is seeking you, Bjornarne. Would I were in your place ! 
I have a great desire to play the old fellow a trick. Go, my 
dear fellow, and if you are indeed the son of your father, and 
if there be a spark of his spirit in your brain, you will pass a 
precious hour.” 

He accompanied his pupil to the door, and joyously rubbed 
his hands together, when he saw him soon after, hatchet and 
saw in hand, proceeding to the warehouse. 

“ He is not so dumb as usual,” whispered Paul, looking after 
him. “ I would wager that he will move the godly Klaus to 
tears.” 

Bjornarne, meanwhile, cast his tools down among the casks 
and barrels, opened the water door of the great warehouse, and 
gazed over the fiord. It was a bright el ear morning, the puro 


332 


A F 11 A J A . 


and fresh air rendering the most distant objects visible; the 
whole scene was soft and tranquil. The lofty mountains, piled 
up on one another, were enveloped in a warm veil of mist. 
The nearer mountains smoked from the summer heat, and a 
gentle plash of waves was heard beating beneath, on the pile- 
work. With melancholy earnestness, the unhappy youth gazed 
into the deep water, and sadly whispered to himself : “ Would 
that I lay there buried in the sea-weed, that I might neither 
hear nor see more. God knows how it has happened, but I 
have neither rest of body or mind, and I shall never see her 
again. I cannot bear to think of it.” 

He suddenly turned round, raised his axe, and began to 
whistle an air, for Klaus Hornemann was standing without and 
looking in. After a while, as Bjornarne hammered and knocked, 
he drew near and said to him ; “ You are at work early, dear 
Bjornarne, and, as it appears, with a right good will.” 

“ Why should I not be happy,” exclaimed the young man. 
“I am young, strong, and healthy.” 

The missionary took his hand, led him out to the porch, and 
sat down with him on a bench. u How pleasant it is,” said 
he, “ to sit on an old familiar seat and to think of past days and 
pleasures ! Upon this same bench I have sat with your mother, 
and chatted away many an hour in friendly conversation. You 
hardly knew your mother, and you were too young to under- 
stand and appreciate her character. She was a most kind- 
hearted and sincere woman, with warm sympathy for the poor ; 
very intelligent, and strongly attached to her children. I dis- 
tinctly remember the time when she sat here with you, then an 
infant, in her arms. Your father was far away upon the sea, 
and heavy, dark clouds hung upon the Kilpisjaure. It was a 
profoundly calm day ; we spoke of the uncertainty of human 
happiness, and of God’s inscrutable providence to man. All 
at once, your mother seized my hand, and looking full upon me 
with her large piercing eyes, she pointed her finger to you. 
i When I am no more/ she said, 1 look after the boy. Do not 


AFRA J A, 


333 


Buffer him to wander into evil ways, but speak to him, for his 
disposition is good and he will understand you. Promise me, 
as a true servant of God, and as my friend, to watch over and 
guard the child as much as you can/ I said in reply; 1 You 
may rely upon my efforts to fulfil your injunctions, as long as I 
live/ ” 

Bjdrnarne listened uneasily : the allusion to his mother 
moved his feelings; but he thought of Paul’s advice, and 
when Klaus ceased speaking, he smilingly replied, “ My mo- 
ther, I hope, will never hear any evil of me.” 

The pastor fixed his eyes so intently upon him, that he could 
not endure his gaze. “ What have you, then, to do with me ?” 
he contemptuously asked, to conceal his confusion. 

“ I find you paler, and much changed, since I was last here ; 
and because I know the source of your trouble, and on account 
of my promise to your mother, I have sought to speak with 
you.” 

“Fear — no, fear not for me,” exclaimed Bjornarne. “The 
summer heat is injurious to me; I had a fever in Loppen, 
drank bad water, and over-exerted myself. All this has en- 
feebled me.” 

“That is not all,” rejoined the old man, in a gentle tone; 
“ you do not tell the whole truth. I know more than you sup- 
pose, Bjornarne; for Gula, less than three days since, informed 
me of the reasons for which she had fled from your society.” 

“ What did the foolish creature say ?” asked Bjornarne. 
“That I reproached her for being found in the arms of John 
Marstrand; and that I also once loved her? I was foolish, and 
did wrong; but I am young, and have warm blood. What 
does she want now ? She ran away from this house, and she 
has nothing more to do with us. I am here; I have a bride, 
and will soon have a wife. Does the girl imagine that I yet 
think of her? What is a Lapland maiden to me, and what 
could I wish of such a creature ?” 

The good pastor listened with astonishment to these short 


834 


A F It A ,T A . 


and bitterly-spoken remarks. He had expected something dif- 
ferent, and had resolved to employ all his powers of persuasion 
to bring his young friend to his senses; and now he found that 
he exempted himself from all suspicion. 

“All that you say is true, dear Bjornarne,” said he, rejoiced; 
“ and all is right, if you have seen the evil of your ways.” 

“All is over,” said Bjornarne. 

“ She willingly forgives you,” replied Klaus; “and it was 
quite natural that your heart should turn to the good, friendly 
creature. You both grew up together ; you saw her bud and 
bloom under your own eyes; and were Gula the daughter of a 
rich nobleman, he might be proud of her. She is light and 
graceful in shape, and her eyes are as pure and bright as her 
heart.” The old pastor smiled as he said this. “ As I love 
her, how could I condemn your love ? Mortuno himself is be- 
come a poet, and at evening sings to her his own compositions, 
with no little effect.” 

Bjornarne had silently listened to the pastor; but a deep 
passion was expressed in his features, and the dark, fiery glances, 
which Klaus either did not understand, nor observe : when 
Mortuno’ s name was mentioned, the blood mounted to his face, 
and he furiously clinched his fists. 

“Love her as a brother,” continued the old man, taking 
Bjornarne by the hand; “she deserves to be your sister. Pro- 
tect her in the hour of misfortune, and listen to her prayers. 
1 1 beg, my dear friend/ she said to me, ‘ not to be angry with 
the poor Gula. I pray to God that he may be happy; and 
when he possesses a true and loving wife, he will extend me his 
hand, when I knock at his door, and will receive me, when I 
am persecuted.’ ” 

“That will I!” exclaimed Bjornarne, with flashing eyes. 
“Yes, as sure as I am a man, I will! But is she happy, my 
father ? Does she yet love the Dane ?” 

“ Marstrand,” said the pastor, evasively, “ is as little capa- 
ble as yourself, of responding to her love.” 


AFRAJA. 


335 


“He folded her in his arms, with declarations of love, 

kissed her lips, and now he betrays her. I ” he menacingly 

shook his head. 

“You, my son,” interrupted the missionary, “would not act 
differently from this generous-minded and intelligent man, 
whose friendship you should prize much higher than that of 
many others.” 

“ He loves her not, and yet she clings to him ; for this rea- 
son he desires her to marry the rascal Mortuno,” said Bjor- 
narne, whisperingly, to himself. “He abandons her, but I 
will not. Where,” asked he, aloud, “ does Afraja keep the 
poor creature concealed ? I can conceive that she suffers much.” 

“ She is sad at heart, but she suffers no evil ; and the valley 
in which she lives is the most beautiful of all those above 
there.” 

“There, above!” exclaimed Bjornarne, with a rapid glance 
at the lofty mountains. “Does she wish that I should not 
know it ?” 

“ What could it avail ?” replied the pastor ; “ you must both 
fulfil thie destiny which G-od lias ordained for you. You, dear 
Bjornarne, will live in happiness and peace here ; she will lead 
a wandering life with Mortuno and his herds, but will also be 
happy, because the eternal being bestows upon all his creatures, 
after their manner, the means of felicity. You know that the 
Lappish people are never so contented as in their own mountain 
home, and that Grula herself has not lost her preference for the 
freedom of the wilderness. She will accustom herself to it 
again, without destroying the nobler seeds in her heart, and 
will endeavor to implant them in the hearts of others. Let 
her overcome her sorrow ; but do you, my young friend, bestow 
all your affection upon 'the excellent maiden who loves you, and 
show her that you merit her tenderness and confidence.” 

Bjornarne sat musing. His blood boiled in all his veins, and 
be was on the point of laughing at the pastor in derision, 
and of rejecting the hand of the mediator; but Paul was right. 


336 


A F R A J A . 


In good as well as evil, the first step is the most difficult. 
When the first lie and deception is accomplished, the others 
follow like the rings of a chain ; he must either deceive the 
pastor, whom he had already half-beguiled, or he must make 
him an accuser and judge, without hope of pardon. 

Klaus Hornemann spoke earnestly again concerning Hannah’s 
excellent qualities, and upon his rude and unbecoming behavior 
to her. During this discourse, Bjornarne had time to smooth 
his frowning brow, and to consider of his answer. 

“It is true,” he said, looking up, “I have not been as 
friendly as I ought to have been ; but do not think I have been 
insensible to Hannah Fandrem’s excellencies. I am also 
accustomed to follow the will of my father ; but it disgusted me 
to be sold without my own consent. I was obliged to betroth 
myself to Hannah at Lyngen church, where I met her for the 
first time for many years. My friends laughed at me for being 
treated as a child. My father called me to seek Hannah’s 
favor on bended knee; and she, who should have hesitated, 
and, according to custom, have demanded time for reflection, 
smilingly said yea, but with such a scornful and malicious 
expression, that I shall never forget it.” 

“ And this is the cause of your coldness and foolish con- 
duct,” exclaimed Klaus, rejoiced. “ But, my son, if your 
father, after his manner, acted too rashly, how could you be 
angry with Hannah, who followed you with a good heart? 
Would it have been better for you if she had contemptuously 
frustrated the wishes of your father, and have left you kneel- 
ing? What ridicule and jesting, to your discredit, it would 
have given rise to ! No, you foolish youth, Hannah did the 
best she could ; and instead of going off in a pet, you should 
have loved her twice as much as she deserved.” 

“I almost believe that you are right,” said Bjornarne, 
smiling. 

“ Come, Bjornarne, be kind towards her, and she will for- 
give you. I will not say a word ; you yourself must atone for 


AFRAJA. 


337 


the wrongs done. As to John Marstrand, he has begged me 
to express to you his regret that your , friendship for him has 
changed into aversion. You avoid him, and reject his proffered 
hand.” 

“ Because I believe,” said the young man, “ that he advised 
my father to his precipitate measures with Hannah.” 

“No, no,” said the pastor, “therein you are wrong. I can, 
in all confidence, assure you that Marstrand would not hear of 
this marriage, and that he most urgently implored me to pre- 
vent it if I could.” 

“He did so?” said Bjornarne, amazed; “and on what 
grounds ?” 

“ Because he had formed all kinds of fearful apprehensions 
on the subject of your unhappiness and Hannah’s misery. Let 
us go, my son, and wear a cheerful countenance to all.” 

The effect of this conversation was precisely what Paul 
Petersen could have desired, for another spirit appeared to 
have passsed over the mind of Helgestad’s son. He accom- 
panied the pastor, sat down by Hannah’s side, and listened to 
Marstrand, as he read the works of Ludwig Halberg. He was 
thinking of other matters, however, for his thoughts roved 
beyond the summits of the bold cliffs which encompassed the 
Lyngenfiord. Far over the mossy surface of the measureless 
fjeld he sought the secluded valley where Grula was concealed, 
where the softly waving birches overhung the brook, where 
she, with that gentle voice which he so well knew, sang songs 
of truth and love, and where she ran to him with outstretched 
arms, as he suddenly appeared before her to free her from 
Mortuno. A glad smile overspread his face as he looked up 
and met the gaze of Hannah. A cold shudder passed through 
his frame ; but Klaus, looking over Hannah’s shoulder, nodded 
encouragingly to him. The whole truth and deceit shot 
through his brain like cold steel; with almost superhuman 
force of will he took the hand which Hannah offered him, 
pressed it softly, and looked upon her with a kindly eye. 

29 W 


338 


APRAJA. 


This was an unexpected surprise. A sudden blush gathered 
on Hannah’s face, she opened wide her eyes, as if doubtful of the 
truth, and an involuntary tremor shook her hand; Bjornarne 
held it fast, and laid his arm upon her shoulder. It gave him 
a secret pleasure to see the anxiety of Hannah. 

In a moment, nevertheless, Hannah’s alarm had passed away. 
She cast a long, searching, and inquisitive glance upon him, 
and then turned round to the good Klaus, who, with a face 
beaming with delight, was regarding the young couple with the 
tenderness of a father. 

The whole day was cheerfully passed away ; and even Paul 
Petersen deemed it proper to appear amiable, and to contribute 
to the general amusement. After he had busied himself for 
some time with Helgestad’s books, and had made extracts, he 
joined the little circle, and at a glance he discerned the suc- 
cessful conduct of Bjornarne. He assumed a serious and 
modest aspect, sat down by Uda, and spoke with Marstrand 
touching the new and unexpected revival of Norwegian litera- 
ture with so much knowledge and good sense as to excite the 
admiration of all the company. 

“ We have had too long a repose in the dominion of poetry,” 
said he, “ and we consequently so much the better feel the 
storm which Halberg and his friends have raised. No people 
has such abundant resources for a genuine popular poetry. Innu- 
merable are our treasures in old Sagas and songs, which will be 
collected as the progressive development of the language, and 
a more refined cultivation, shall generate a taste for them. Mere 
natural poets no longer exist; original genius must be com- 
bined, now, with taste and artistic rules. I blame Halberg for 
the roughness and bluntness of his satires; his works form a 
treasure which may probably survive a century. He has given 
the impulse to a new literature. He will be succeeded by others, 
who, although they will not, probably, equal the master in spi- 
rit, may yet surpass him in form and skill of composition; 
beautifying and improving our tongue to such a degree that no 


APR A J A. 


339 


one will thereafter write in Latin who desires to be read. Books 
will then be more generally diffused, and the people will read 
and profit by them.” 

“I see the time coming,” said Hannah, smiling, “when 
there will be a printing establishment in Tromsoe, and the Ga- 
zette of that world-renowned town shall be read in all the 
fiords.” 

“ And why should not that take place ?” asked Klaus. “ Paul 
is right. With the increase of cultivation, schools will be es- 
tablished for popular instruction; when every one can read, 
the newspapers and books will find many readers. Then will 
men grow more enlightened, and prejudices will be dissipated.” 

“ And they will be troubled by new prejudices, plagues, and 
imperfections,” interrupted the secretary. 

“ Certainly, humanity has a long way to travel,” said the pas- 
tor, in a kindly tone ; “ but increasing culture will render pre- 
judices less cruel and bloody.” 

“ Every age,” said Marstrand, “ will have its own devices. 
Men will torment men, selfishness and avarice will sacrifice their 
victims, and the just and good will continually sigh for the Re- 
deemer promised to the sufferers and oppressed.” 

Petersen looked at him with a scornful expression ; but the 
old pastor gently replied, “ He will at last come, bearing palms 
of peace. Is it not a fact that we are continually progressing 
in knowledge ? But a few days since, I read that in Prussia, 
in Germany, a young prince has ascended the throne who has 
proclaimed liberty of conscience and the abolition of torture of 
criminals.” 

“ I have also heard of this young visionary,” said the secre- 
tary. “ He will introduce a beautiful confusion into his 
country.” 

“ How ?” said the pastor. “ Bo you not desire to see this 
noble example imitated throughout the world, where men and 
Christians are to be found ?” 

“ No,” replied Paul ; “ my conscience as a judge revolts against 


340 


AFRAJA. 


it. We have no other means of bringing obstinate villains to 
confession.” 

a Confessions extorted by pain convert justice into a cruel 
mockery and wrong ;” interposed Marstrand. “ How many inno- 
cent persons have suffered death as witches and sorcerers !” 

u Is the torture yet in use with us ?” asked Ilda. u I never 
heard of it.” 

“ It exists,” said Paul, u but it has not been applied for a 
long period. Happily, great crimes are rare in the country; so 
that we have no need of thumb-screws and racks to bring the 
truth to light.” 

“ And they were never necessary !” exclaimed the good 
Klaus. a I have heard that efforts have been made in Copen- 
hagen entirely to abolish the question and prosecutions for 
witchcraft. Our humane sovereign will not hear of these cru- 
elties ; and but for the opposition of his ministry, they would 
have already been put an end to. My humble voice shall be 
exerted to increase the horror which every feeling man enter- 
tains against the old, cruel forms of justice.” 

“ If you succeed, I shall rejoice for the victory of humanity; 
but as a judge, I should like to know what is to be done in des- 
perate cases ?” 

“ It is better that ten guilty should escape,” replied Klaus, 
<( than that one innocent man should suffer.” 

Paul laughed. te Zeal must not be pushed too far,” said he, 
u and too much must not be expected from the revival of letters. 
To get rid of the question, you will introduce other forms of 
torture. Heavy chains, severe and solitary confinement, starva- 
tion and the lash, all kinds of moral mortifications, which, in 
their degree, are tortures of no light kind. You will not only 
not be able to abolish them, but they will extend and become 
universal, until, at length, the rage for reform will be pushed 
go far, that the half of the costs will be put into the hands of 
the criminal, with the order to kill himself when he chooses.” 

With this jest the secretary withdrew, and at the same mo- 


APR A J A. 


341 


ment an event occurred which diverted the attention of all to 
another subject. Above in the mountains, a shot was heard in 
the distance, which resounded from rock to rock ; and while 
all eyes were turned upward, a man appeared upon the summit 
of the crags, in full run ; in wild flight, he sprang from rock 
to rock, until in breathless haste he reached the edge of the 
ground upon which the G-aard was built. 

He was recognised before he reached the company, as Winge- 
ford the Quane, with one of his little dogs under his left arm, 
and his glazed hat in his right hand. His long hair flew 
about his heated and perspiration-covered face ; and, as he ap- 
proached, his wrath and fear broke out into disjointed expres- 
sions, oaths, and a kind of brutish howl. 

He threw his hat and the dog on the ground, upraised his 
long arms, shook his fists in the air, stamped with his short 
legs, and rolled his eyes about in such a frightful manner, that 
Hannah concealed herself from fear behind Ilda. He foamed 
at the mouth, and his long white teeth lay like wolfish fangs 
behind his retreating lips. Marstrand was alarmed into the 
belief that he had been seized by a sudden frenzy. 

“ What has happened to you?” exclaimed Paul and Bjor- 
narne together. 

“ There ! There !” he cried, pointing up to the fjeld. “ Oh, 
Herr, he lies there dead ! ” — He uttered a fearful curse, beat 
his forehead like a madman, and tore his hair by the roots. 

“ Who is dead ? Who lies dead ? ” — As he had left the 
house with a young man, Bjornarne thought of him. “ Has 
something happened to Feddersen ?” he asked. 

“ May he rot under the stones !” cried the bird-catcher. “No, 
no ! cursed be his mother ! no snake was ever so false. He is a 
crawling worm, Herr ; I will tear his throat with my nails.” — 
He continued to pour out a volley of unintelligible exclama- 
tions, until Paul grasped him by the arm, and held him fast. — 
“ Speak, now,” said he, in a severe tone, “like a man of sense; 
29 * 


842 


AFRAJA. 


I can guess what has happened. There is one of your dogs, 
hut you departed with both — one of them is dead.” 

Wingeborg nodded to him* 

“ And the shot which we heard was aimed at your dog ?” 

“ Close by me; not twenty steps off. Oh, Herr, never was 
such another dog born !” 

“Who shot him?” asked Bjornarne. 

“ A thief, a robber, a red-haired scoundrel, who lives on 
reindeer blood !” shouted the Quane, in a new fit of fury. 

“ I thought he was a Lapp,” said the secretary. “ Did you 
see him ?” 

“ Not a shadow of him ! I was clambering along among the 
rocks, through which, in various directions, there ran channels 
with flowing water. My dogs were ahead, but they scented no- 
thing. They can smell a Lapp at a hundred paces ; and it must 
have been the devil himself ! Suddenly, I saw the dog running 
at full speed, and howling, and at the same moment a flash and 
shot from behind a rock, about eighty steps off. I am a man 
who understands the Lappish tricks, and I now knew with 
whom I had to deal. One concealed himself in the gulley be- 
fore me, another behind a great rock, and God knows how 
many more there were. Gilf lay dead ; he moved not a limb. 
I raised a cry; ha ! ha ! a cry, which they knew, snatched up 
Yern, and ran as hard as I could. Behind me I heard a laugh — 
they laughed, the yellow wolves, the hogs ; but they shall howl 
like women, and I will stamp them under foot.” 

“The boldness of these wretches becomes every day more 
reckless,” said Paul. “ They have shot Wingeborg’ s dog from 
mere malice. Who can it be ? Mortuno accompanied Herr 
Hornemann hither yesterday; the scoundrel wanders in security 
above there, and is base enough to perform sueh a trick.” 

“And dexterous enough,” said Hannah; “for, as I hear, he 
has shot an eagle on the wing.” 

At this reminiscence, the secretary avoided her vindictive 
glance. — “ If we could take the rascal, he should be tied up to 


A F R A J A . 


343 


the post in Tromsoe, and be thrashed until the flesh was scored 
from his bones.” 

“ On account of a miserable dog ?” interrupted Hannah. 

“Who knows if it was Mortuno?” said Marstrand, “and 
whether the story we have just heard, is to be relied on ?” 

“ And whether the dog Gilf is actually dead,” said Ilda. 

“ Whatever may happen,” angrily replied Paul, “ the rabble 
will not want advocates here. Let us go up there, Bjornarne; 
we may probably succeed in taking the fellow, or discover some 
sign by which we can bring him to account.” 

Accompanied by the three fishermen and the Quane, they set 
out on their expedition. The maidens went into the house, 
followed by Klaus Hornemann, after an interval of some 
minutes. 

“ I think this excursion will all be in vain,” said the latter ; 
“ if indeed Mortuno has shot the dog, he will not wait long. 
Do you believe that he fired the shot?” 

“ I believe so,” replied Klaus. 

“ But wherefore this insolence, and pleasure in doing ill ?” 
inquired the young man. “ Have not these persecuted people 
already provoked enough hatred and enmity, and why should 
they give new cause for vengeance ?” 

“ Bather wonder at the mild disposition of these rude shep- 
herds,” replied the old man. 

“ Do you call them mild ?” 

“Yes, mild,” continued Hornemann. “No one has so 
much tormented and persecuted the Lapps, even to the imbru- 
ing his hands in their blood, as this Wingeborg. More than 
twenty years ago, this man came and settled here on the Lyn- 
genfiord. Then the Lapps pastured their herds everywhere, 
only the Gaard proprietors drove them from their neighbor-^ 
hood, shot their cattle, unmercifully beat women and men, and 
stole their children to make them servants. They put a bottle 
of brandy in the hands of the old men, made them beastly 
drunk, swore then that they had bought the vermin to rear 


344 


A FRA J A. 


them as Christians, and the cruel voigt of Tromsoe caused every 
Lapp to be whipped, who ventured to complain. Wingeborg 
drove away the unhappy people from Lyngenfiord at that time, 
without any justification whatever. He was Helgestad’ s serving- 
man and steward. Even then, a bird-hunter of rare skill, he 
kept dogs, which scented not only the breeding holes of the 
auks and lummen, but also Lapps, against whom they mani- 
tested a peculiar aversion.” 

“If these dogs were as large and strong as blood-hounds, 
Wingeborg and Helgestad, and alas many others with them, 
would have employed them for the pursuit of the savages, 
as the Spaniards, but they rendered a similar service. They 
found out the gamme of a Lapp in the most secluded gorge ; 
they scented the slightest track of a Lapp, and behind them 
was Wingeborg with his companions, who beat down whatever 
they found. More than one poor creature has thus perished ; 
it was only when the report of these cruelties had reached 
Copenhagen, and provoked an order not to harm the Lapps in 
future, that an end was put to these tyrannical acts. There 
was of course no investigation. Helgestad sent the Quane to 
Loppen, where he has lived for ten years, to the great profit of 
his master. But the Lapps have no more pasturage grounds 
at Lyngenfiord ; they only come to the great autumn market, 
which is held around the old church of Lyngen, and buy of 
Helgestad, because he is the most extensive and cheapest 
trader. They have not forgotten these barbarities, and to this 
day, if a Lapp meets Wingeborg, he takes to his heels as quick 
as he can.” 

“ Think,” continued the pastor, “ that this man suddenly 
comes here with his two dogs, which the Lapps almost believe 
have been given to their cruel enemy by the devil himself. 
Bemember that with his infernal comrades, he scours the 
fjeld exactly as formerly, when he maimed or killed outright 
every Lapp whom he could reach, and then ask yourself if it 
is not evidence of a very mild and forbearing disposition, that 


APR A J A . 


345 


Mortuno’s ball only struck down the dog and not the godless 
master. Short as the time is that he has been here, I am yet 
convinced that it is known far into the land by the Lapps ; for 
it is very remarkable how quickly they learn all news that 
concerns them.” 

“ How is that possible ?” said Marstrand, astonished. 

“It is only to be explained by the fact that Afraja has 
reduced them to a sort of society, and has obtained a kind of 
despotic influence over them.” 

“ Has he acquired their love and affection ?” 

“ No,” said the pastor, “ but he is respected and feared. If 
many superstitious Normans regard the sly, rich shepherd as a 
sorcerer, there is no one of his people who does not believe him 
possessed of supernatural knowledge, and in communication 
with spirits. I perceived upon my last journey, that Afraja 
understands the art of increasing this delusion and considera- 
tion. He makes visits to all the families, and he is by far the 
richest; this increases the universal esteem.” 

“ And even these children of the rocky waste hold the pos- 
sessor of wealth in awe !” exclaimed Marstrand, smiling. 

“ All is united together — property, money, and wisdom,” 
responded Klaus. “Afraja has a number of young men with 
his herds, who might be called his guards and courtiers. As 
his eight or ten thousand animals are scattered over the 
remotest pasture grounds, he frequently sends out messengers, 
who bring and carry news. His sister’s children and cousins 
are his dependants ; he has bound to himself many other heads 
of families by various benefactions, and there are but few 
indeed of these roving people who are not in some degree 
under his influence.” 

Marstrand listened attentively to what the pastor had to say 
of these matters, with which he was perfectly familiar. He 
thought of how he also should be subjected to Afraja, if he 
accepted his proffered aid; and he thought of the words of the 
cunning Lapp, that he should hear, in time, of his conditions. 


346 


AFRAJA. 


“ This seems like a regular scheme to raise himself to the 
supremacy/' said he, giving vent to the reflections by which 
he was occupied. 

“ So I think/' replied Klaus. “ There can be no question 
of a civil authority ; but a moral supremacy Afraja has, indeed, 
already obtained ; and this I am glad of, because his intentions 
are good and just." 

“ Has he also communicated his plans to you ?" 

“ We have often spoken of them. He endeavors to prevent 
the realization of Paul Petersen's predicted extirpation of his 
people. He seeks to discover some means of uniting the sepa- 
rate tribes and families ; and of providing them with one com- 
mon language, instead of the dozen and more different and mu- 
tually incomprehensible dialects now spoken. He encourages 
the young people to learn the Danish, and all useful knowledge; 
but, at the same time, he restrains them from evil habits and 
vices, and particularly from the use of brandy, that curse of his 
people — that terrible poison with which the European dis- 
coverers and conquerors have debased and destroyed so many 
people." 

“But he has not yet made much progress, notwithstanding 
all his efforts !" said Marstrand, reflecting upon the miserable 
condition of the Lapps. 

“ My son," replied the pastor, “ if it is difficult to redeem 
one depraved man, it is yet more so to elevate and improve a 
debased people. Afraja has, already, converted many a one ; 
he possesses a remarkable moral power, which commands re- 
spect. He cannot work miracles, but he has done wonders. 
His successors can perfect what he has not been able to carry 
through. Gula is gentle and intelligent ; and Mortuno — do 
not smile so contemptuously — Mortuno has something of the 
spirit of his uncle, and is, withal, a young, courageous man." 

In the meanwhile, they had reached the Gaard, where the 
two maidens were expecting them : in an hour after, the men 
also returned, without having found anything, not even the 




A F R A J A . 347 

dead body of the dog, or any sign of his tragical end, but a 
blood-stained stone. 

“We will, in the course of time, erect a monument to his 
memory, which the scoundrels shall long remember,” said 
Paul. “I give you my word, Wingeborg, that you shall have 
satisfaction. If such rascality is tolerated at our very doors, 
the villains will grow bolder. My uncle and I will make a 
rigid investigation ; and the Lapps are too locpiacious to con- 
ceal the affair. Now let us be gone, and be merry. Do not 
fair eyes and full glasses invite us ? What could we do better, 
than to revel in love and wine, and compassionate those who 
are deprived of them ?” 

Paul, accordingly, endeavored to fulfil what he had com- 
mended; but he was too temperate to perform great things 
with the glass. He devoted himself the more to his betrothed, 
whom he took the greatest pleasure in entertaining with ten- 
der conversation, and solitary walks. What he had heard only 
confirmed that which he already knew. “ She hates me, she 
holds me in contempt,” he murmured to himself; “and so 
much the better, as I shall not, hereafter, impose any force upon 
myself. But I must recompense her for it ; I must show her 
that I am a passionate lover ; and I must keep this Danish fop 
away from her V* 

“ To-morrow, dear Ilda,” he said, “ your father will be here. 
The fishermen have seen a large yacht off Reenoen ; and how 
shall I rejoice, again to press that hand which is to unite our 
own.” 

“Blessed be the day of my father’s return,” responded 
Ilda. 

“ The only thing that troubles me,” resumed Paul, “ is, that 
we shall then lose our friend from Balsfiord, who appears to be 
particularly full of anxiety and secret care ; for which, in truth, 
he has good reason.” 

Ilda’s eyes flashed: “Why should he have care?” she 
asked. 


348 


AFRA JA. 


“ Oh,” said the secretary, smiling, ff there are many reasons. 
Firstly, he has entered upon a bold undertaking ; secondly, he 
has managed his affairs in a careless and indiscreet manner; 
and, thirdly, he is in love. What say you to that ?” 

A light blush overspread Ilda’s face ; but she proudly raised 
her head, and looking at the malicious man with a severe and 
reproving expression, she replied, “ I have nothing to say to it, 
Paul Petersen, and as little to hear of it.” 

“Nothing?” he scornfully exclaimed; “but the worthy Dane 
is your friend ; and we sympathize in a friend's joys and sor- 
rows. You could, at least, inquire who is the loved one of this 
fine gentleman.” 

“ I will not ask, because he himself has not spoken to me 
of it.” 

“ Has he not,” said the secretary, “ spoken of his love ? He 
keeps it a profound secret ; but have you not observed it, or 
are you not curious to know it ? Shall I whisper in your ear 
the name of her upon whom this gallant gentleman has bestowed 
his heart ?” 

He smiled maliciously, as she turned away to hide her face. 
“ Hear then,” he cried, “you will dispute it, and yet you know 
the sweet little treasure as well as you know yourself, who, be- 
hind the back of her father and her betrothed, has listened to 
the love-vows of the seducing Dane.” 

Ilda stood still, and with proud contempt looked at Paul. 
“ Speak on,” she said, “ I will answer you.” 

“ Zounds !” exclaimed Paul, “ how you stare ? You have 
probably heard that the princess Gula is the favored object.” 

Ilda breathed freer, but she changed not a feature. “ That 
is a lie of your own manufacture,” she replied. 

“Lie!” he exclaimed. “And if it were a lie, why should 
it disturb you so ? Of whom were you thinking, when I 
spoke of a maiden who could so far degrade herself as to cling 
to this impudent beggar ?” 


A F R A J A . 349 

et Not disturbed, but offended in tbe name of the injured ; I 
felt the calumny as if it had touched myself / 7 

“ You !” he exclaimed. 11 Who would dare even to think of 
it ? Be quiet, sweet Ilda, I know you. You love me, and I 
worship you. You know who j^ou are, and who I am. You are 
Helgestad 7 s daughter, the first maiden in the land, and I am a 
man, who, will soon, Ilda, soon — be Amtmann in Finnmark. 
You are too proud, intelligent, and discreet, to think of this 
vagabond, who will have soon reached his end / 7 

“ You speak with such bitter hate of a man whom I esteem, 
that I will hear no more . 77 

u Why so sensitive ? There is more truth in my words than 
you suppose ; but as to my lie, you can readily test it. I acci- 
dentally heard a secret conversation which this estimable John 
had with his father confessor, the worthy Hornemann. Gula 
sits in a mountain cave, weeping her eyes out. Afraja has 
selected Mortuno for his son-in-law. Marstrand confessed that 
he loved Gula with all his heart, that she had lain in his arms 
when she was here, and had gone half-crazy with passion from 
his kisses. On his account she ran off, yet he swore not to 
desist until he could lead her into his own house before all the 
world, as his wife. Shame, infamy, and ridicule, are all alike 
indifferent to him. For a Lapland maiden, to whom no fisher- 
man would give his hand, the foolish lover is willing to risk 
universal contempt . 77 

“ You have become quite pale , 77 he continued, as he jeeringly 
looked at Ilda. “ If you yet doubt, ask the pastor, who will 
tell you the whole truth . 77 

Paul was satisfied that Ilda would make no inquiries. She 
could not conceal her agitation ; a deep, secret pain filled her 
soul. She dared not speak further, or offer any objections, as 
Paul continued to break his sarcasms on the Danish lover; it 
was only to the jest upon the beggar, to whom nothing would 
be left, but to frequent the palace of his noble father-in-law, 
30 


350 


A F R A J A . 


and to lead a pastoral life with Gula, that she replied with a 
reproving earnestness : 

“You might deceive yourself,” she said, “for this man 
whom you call dreamer and fool, and whom you so bitterly 
scorn, may yet be able to laugh at his enemies.” 

“ Out of mere friendship, you ascribe him too much sagacity.” 

“Less sagacity, than truth, fearlessness, and a considerate 
understanding.” 

“ These are certainly fine qualities, and I wish him all pos- 
sible success. I question his understanding however, beloved 
Ilda, or he would have acted differently.” 

“ What should he do ?” 

“ He is entirely in the hands of your father. If he had not 
given him money to begin the wondrous establishment at 
Balself, he could have done nothing. If he refuses to lend him 
any more money, the undertaking must fail.” 

1 1 dare not ask you what advice you give my father.” 

“ Certainly, you may ask,” said Paul, smiling, as he put his 
arm around her and kissed her ; “ for there can be no secrets 
between us ; your father, however, will know what to do with- 
out my counsel. Helgestad began the chase when the Dane 
first appeared at Lofodden with his royal letter. He took his 
money, and gave him fish in exchange. The speculation was 
as likely to fail as to succeed. Then he introduced him into 
this house, that he might know him better, for he had gone so 
far as to prevail upon my uncle, against his custom, to grant him 
the registration of the royal patent without delay. I, my dear 
Ilda, could have rendered the matter more difficult. But Iiel- 
gestad whispered in my ear : 1 1 think you know me, learn what 
I wish. Paul will not take it amiss to find the patent in his 
own pocket, when he takes Ilda home. I know a great piece 
of good land, which will well please you/ ” 

“ I hope my dowry will be clear of it,” responded Ilda. 

“ My pocket is large enough to hold all that may fall into it,” 
exclaimed Paul in an exulting tone. “ When your father re- 


AFRA.TA. 


851 


turns, lie "will decide whether he will throw him another sack, 
or whether he will refuse to assist him farther. What can the 
poor devil do, in the latter case ? His money is gone, the goods 
and provisions which he bought on credit are likewise wasted 
and lost. There is no order nor care in his house. Olaf will 
do his best to set things to rights, but the Dane will undo all 
the good he may accomplish, and your sharp-sighted father 
will hesitate to throw away any more money upon what already 
belongs to him.” 

“ Do you expect to have the Guard so quickly ?” 

“ Bah !” exclaimed the secretary ) “ in two weeks I will look 
to it. Your profoundly wise friend did not secure his money 
for a certain period. If Helgestad reclaims it to-day, and he 
cannot procure it, the property will be sold, and to whom but 
Helgestad ? Now, my little heart, how does that please you ?” 

“ It pleases me so little, that I pray to God only to show me 
some way by which I may prevent it.” 

“ Ah !” said Paul, laughing, as he looked to the house where 
Marstrand sat by the door with the pastor, “ you can admonish 
him, in your virtuous indignation, of the prospect before him. 
Your father, however, would thank you but little for it, and I 
indeed do not know what course he may take. The noble youth 
will not believe it, and if he would, he cannot change matters. He 
cannot find the sums which he should pay. Where is the man 
who will lend him anything ? The report of his folly is uni- 
versally diffused throughout the country, and there is a general 
conviction that he will meet with a bad end.” 

“They end badly who do evil,” she responded. “Shame 
upon your conduct and counsel against an innocent person, who 
needed your assistance.” 

“Which he rejected,” said Paul, “and reviled me for it. 
May he enjoy his wisdom ! I do not hate him, I laugh at him.” 

“ You hate him, because you envy him.” 

“ I envy him ? You reverse the matter. He envies 
me.” 


352 


AFR A JA. 


C( You envy him, because you feel that a better man stands 
before you than yourself.” 

“ How jocular you are !” he whispered with a tender smile. 
“ Will my charming Ilda find a better person than I am V* 

“ Many, indeed,” she replied. “ God knows it.” 

“ Then I must change myself,” he said with a smile. “ When 
you are my wife, dear girl, you will understand me. I will en- 
deavor to clear your little brain of caprices, and I will show 
what it means to belong to me. We shall be so happy, that 
you will worship me in the very depths of your heart, yet more 
than that virtuous gentleman there upon the bench, who turns 
towards us his melancholy face.” His eyes were fixed upon 
Ilda with a malicious expression, and every word that he spoke 
was full of bitterness. 

“ Paul Petersen,” said Ilda, “ I bow to the will of my father, 
and I promised at the church of Lyngen, before all our friends 
and the people, to follow you. So shall it be done, and I will 
faithfully cleave to you, as it is meet and proper. Cease with 
your jesting, and let us sign a truce, I know you, and what I 
have to expect; but you will not intimidate me. I will perform 
my duty in all things, and I will unflinchingly pursue the path 
of duty, and He will sustain me, who holds the just and unjust 
in His hands. Smile not, and study not how you may vex me 
and others. I can see deep into your heart, and must warn 
you, for what you build up will fall to pieces. Take care that 
you are not killed by the rock, as your grandfather was.” 

Bold a3 the secretary was, he dared not push his jesting fur- 
ther, for Ilda’s keen, clear glance seemed to penetrate to his 
very core. She stood before him as cold and white as a statue 
of ice. He assumed a sad and troubled countenance, and with 
an anxious air, said ; “ I did not believe that you held me in 
such low estimation ; but I hope you will recognise the great 
injustice you have done me. You excited me by contradiction, 
and your defence of a man whose conduct and follies provoke 
me. I said nothing of him but what was true. Wait awhile, 


AFRAJA. 


353 


and you will confess that I have not misrepresented him. Give 
me your hand and let us be reconciled. I ask your pardon for 
whatever fault I may have committed. Let us chat together as 
cordially and merrily as Hannah and Bjornarne there. I am 
heartily glad that I have persuaded your brother to change his 
behavior to his betrothed.” 

Loud laughter echoed from the other side of the ground, 
where Bjornarne, sitting by Hannah, held the wool which she 
wound around a large ball. 

u Hercules at the distaff !” said Hannah, laughing. 11 Wili 
you be as good a husband as the penitent bridegroom you have 
suddenly become ?” 

“I hope you will never have reason to complain of me,” 
replied Bjornarne. 

“ But I will be a spoiled wife, and will give you difficulty to 
manage me. No, fear not,” she continued, as he gave a forced 
smile, u we shall lead a different life from those below there. 
Ilda is of a serious disposition ; I am more cheerful, and it shall 
be my task to make you happy. You have to-day, for the first 
time, shown me your heart, and confessed that you have done 
me wrong. Fine days are in store for us.” 

“ Fine days !” mechanically repeated Bjornarne. 

“ When your father comes, he will see how you are changed. 
I doubt not that he brings with him my father’s permission for 
the celebration of the marriage here. Helgestad will urge him 
to it. But a few weeks will elapse before we are man and 
wife.” 

“ Only a few weeks ! — Few weeks !” exclaimed Bjornarne. 

“ And until then, we shall have much to do. From morning 
to night, we shall consider of our arrangements. We will dream 
of the future — of love and happiness; and we will sit upon 
Ilda’s seat, above there — your former favorite haunt, when you 
were accompanied by Ilda and Gula.” 

A cold and unnatural smile played around the lips of the 

30* x 


854 


AFRAJA. 


young man ; and his eyes, which were directed upon Hannah’s 
face, appeared to gaze into the farthest distance. 

“ And when our eyes sweep over the wide sea, over Senje- 
naen’s peaks, beyond Tinden,” she said, raising her hand, 
“then will peace come over us; and with peace, ardent feeling 
and warm love. Have you already loved ?” 

“I love now!” he replied; and in his eyes there glowed 
such a consuming fire, that Hannah suddenly turned deadly 
pale. 

“You love,” she resumed ; “hut will your love never grow 
cold?” 

“ No,” he said. “ If all these rocks were piled upon my 
heart, they could not crush my love. If I lay in the depths 
of the sea, with the ice-cold Trolls, I would melt their diamond 
chains and rise again.” 

“ What lies beneath the waters never returns again. No love 
softens death ; no will can bring back the heart which we have 
lost.” 

“We will never find again,” continued Bjornarne, “what 
we have lost. If love is truly love, it must be able to wake the 
dead. What say you, maiden ? Can you doubt, when you 
love ? When I observe how beautiful you are,” he continued, 
as his eyes roved wildly over her features, “xmght I not to ven- 
ture all to possess you ? What could be too difficult ? What 
obstacles could the devil place in my way, that I could not sur- 
mount ! I love you, I love you ! And if voices in heaven and 
earth should exclaim you are lost for ever, I would laugh in 
your arms !” 

Hannah Fandrem regarded the excited man with a mixture 
of fear and pity. He seemed, from his wild and haggard eye 
and features, to have been suddenly struck with madness. His 
countenance was of a dark-red ; and she had never before re- 
marked the fluency of speech with which he was all at once 
endowed. As long as she had known Bjornarne, he was a 
merry, careless fellow, of but little sensibility of feeling or depth 


A F It A J A . 


355 


of thought. Then, again, she had seen him moody in temper 
and monosyllabic in his answers ; looking darkly upon her, and 
rejecting her offers of friendship. Now, he seemed to be filled 
with a burning passion, as if he had drunk a witch’s love-potion. 
She had heard much of such charms, without believing in them. 
Bjornarne spoke, as it were, in a strange tongue, and with 
images and thoughts in striking contrast with his previous sim- 
plicity of conversation. She listened with astonishment to his 
comparisons, and his oaths of love ; and at length, with a cer- 
tain degree of force, she released herself from his embrace, as 
he pressed her to himself and kissed her. 

“ I think you are sick/’ she said, as she drew back. 

“ lie stroked the hair from his forehead, and looked at her 
as if awakening from a dream. 

“ Sick ?” he asked, in deep meditation. “ Why do you call 
me sick ? Bo you not love me V* 
u Bo you doubt it f” she said. 

Bjornarne shook his head. u It is all right !” he exclaimed. 
u You see how it is with me ; and there comes my father, in 
good season to participate with us in our happiness. — Hallo ! I 
see the flag of the fair Ilda fluttering in the distance ! She 
brings us a matrimonial bond which will firmly unite us toge- 
ther for ever.” 


CHAPTER XY. 

IIelgestad’s return from Bergen set all the Gaard in move- 
ment. Great was the joy as the old speculator sprang on 
shore, and was received by children and friends. He had never 
appeared more active or stronger. His countenance was beam- 
ing with contentment, for he had safely brought home his 
richly-laden yacht ; he had left behind him a happily-concluded 


356 


A F IX A J A . 


and profitable business, and tbe future promised all that he 
could desire. 

He embraced one after the other, not even excepting Horne- 
mann. “ It is God’s suggestion that you are here, Klaus,” he 
joyfully exclaimed; “and you must not leave the house until 
your work is completed with those who have more need of a 
parson than their daily bread. All is arranged, Hannah. I 
bring with me your certificate of baptism, maiden, and an 
attested authority from Uve Fandrem for the performance of 
the marriage ceremony at Lyngenfiord. I would have brought 
him along, but your brother Christi is travelling around the 
country, to make large purchases of wood. He is expected 
from day to day, and old Uve could not consequently stir from 
his closet on the German bridge. You shall make a trip to 
Bergen with Bjornarne, when all is over here, and shall have 
a marriage banquet, as Uve has sworn, which will long be 
remembered in Bergen.” 

He clapped his son on the shoulder, and with a cunning 
laugh, said, “Does the thing please you, Bjornarne? Ha! 
Fant, you have become pale and thin; you have rings about 
your eyes, passion-signs, you good-for-nothing fellow. The 
time seems long to you. Ha ! ha ! I guess so ! Is it not so?” 

Bjornarne smiled, and took Hannah’s hand. “It goes well 
with us,” he said, “ and the longest time will have an end.” 

“ Nuh !” said Helgestad, “ time comes and goes. Look at 
your sister, she is a pattern for all. Never too little or too 
much; neither pale to-day, nor red to-morrow; neither sad nor 
exuberantly gay, but always careful and discreet. While we 
are chatting and standing idle, her eyes and hands are every- 
where. Let Paul Petersen take care of himself, and do you 
bring us all something to eat and drink.” 

He stretched himself at ease in the great arm-chair, mixed 
his glass, listened to all, and had a good word for every one; 
with Marstrand, however, he had no intimate conversation. 
He contented himself with general inquiries, and with a nod of 


AFRAJ A. 


357 


the head, replied to the remark that Olaf was at Balsfiord, 
kindly accepting the assurance of the Dane that he was laboring 
with all his power and industry for the success of his work. 

The family remained in glad converse together late into the 
night. On the following morning, Marstrand deemed it proper 
to seize the first opportunity to make Helgestad acquainted with 
his wants. The trader had arisen very early, and had resumed 
his accustomed activity. He had been engaged since the break 
of day, in his little counting-room at the shop, scrutinizing all 
the books, to satisfy himself of the state of his affairs. He 
entered into a long conversation with his steward from Loppen, 
touching the product of the island; and when Marstrand 
awoke, he saw him engaged at the yacht with twenty and more 
people, adjusting the tackle to hoist the cargo from the hold. 

With the coming of Helgestad, the quiet Gaard had put on 
another face. There was no more sitting at ease in the garden 
to talk and while away the time. All were occupied in some- 
thing or other ; Helgestad could not bear to see any one idle, 
and his presence seemed of itself to incite every one to activity. 
A glance of his long, sharp eyes, or a grin of his leather-like 
face, was sufficient to stimulate the most flagging. 

Noon had passed, and night was coming on before Marstrand 
had an opportunity of introducing his own concerns to his 
attention. Helgestad was also not in so jovial a mood as upon 
his arrival, and it sometimes seemed to his guest as if his eye 
rested upon him with a profoundly penetrating expression. An 
anxious feeling agitated the young man, which he in vain 
endeavored to allay, for his conscience whispered to him all 
kinds of reproaches, that he could not entirely remove. He 
remembered that he was entirely in the hands of Helgestad ; 
when, towards evening, still hesitating, but impelled by neces- 
sity, he determined to visit the trader in his counting-room, he 
was yet more confused upon finding Paul Petersen with him. 
He opened the latched door a little, and remained standing in 
a state of irresolution as to what he should do. Helgestad was 


358 


A FR A J A. 


leaning upon the old writing-desk, among a mass of papers, and 
before him stood Paul, shaking with laughter. 

“ You will not believe it, but it is so. I tell you, this fool 
must be chased away. Do as I tell you, and in a short time 
all will go on smoothly and regularly.” 

“ Nuh !” muttered Helgestad, “we will think of it.” As 
he turned his head aside, he discovered the Dane in the half- 
opened door. “ Come in, Herr, come in ! You do not disturb 
us ; I am ready to spin a thread with you. Close the books, 
Paul, and seek your little treasure. Ilda has already waited a 
long time for you. It is a peculiar fact that people in love, 
Herr Marstrand, see everything double. It is a very curious 
world, that of the loving; and it sometimes confounds the 
cunning of the sharpest wits, and puts the wisest in fear of 
their own shadow.” 

“Even people not in love,” replied John, smiling, “miss 
their reckoning.” 

Helgestad beat a cloud of dust out of the ledger with his 
fist. “ What you say, is not true,” he exclaimed. “ He who 
reckons rightly, cannot make a mistake. He who does not, has 
no right to call himself wise. With love, however, it is another 
affair. It disturbs the strongest brain, and pours liquid fire 
into it, which burns out its contents.” 

Paul, in the meanwhile, had gone out, and Helgestad looked 
after him with a roguish twinkle of the eye, as he placed his 
finger on the side of his nose. “ Do you know what is called 
jealousy, Herr Marstrand?” 

“No,” said the young man, “I have no knowledge of that 
passion, which, in my judgment, is nothing else than selfish 
envy.” 

“ Nuh !” exclaimed Helgestad, “ another true saying of 
yours. A jealous fellow is always full of envy, and speaks ill 
of his rival. When will you return to Balsfiord ?” 

“ I hope to-morrow, if I can.” 

Helgestad interrupted him. “ You are a witness of what is 


AFRAJ A. 


359 


meant by good calculation/’ he continued. “Look there at 
Bjornarne and Fandrem, how happy they are together; how he 
runs after her, and how he carries the spindle for her. Con- 
fess, Herr Marstrand, that you never believed in this, and that 
you shook your head in doubt.” 

“ I might yet do it,” he muttered. 

“ Nuh IV said Helgestad, “ I know the women better than 
you. There was, in Bergen, a young gentleman — I know no- 
thing of him, and wish to know nothing of him ; it would have 
been a misfortune, if Fandrem had not consigned the maiden 
to me.’ Shame comes upon a house, as a cloud at mid-day; but 
it may be averted by timely precaution. All grief and sad- 
ness is passed ; Hannah is happy and contented at Lyngenfiord, 
and no one knows what has become of the stripling.” He 
smiled, while he fiercely regarded Marstrand, as if seeking to 
penetrate the inmost recesses of his soul. 

“ Herr Helgestad,” said the young man, gloomily, while he 
fixed his eyes upon the false face ; “ call not the vengeance of 
the dead from their graves, to awaken the conscience of the 
living.” 

“ Is your conscience moved ?” asked the trader, “ or what 
do you mean ? I am responsible for my actions. You look at 
me as keen as a knife, but I am not flesh which you can cut. 
I am prepared, Herr Marstrand, to hear from you unpleasant 
remarks, although I think you ought to be satisfied with me.” 

It appeared to Marstrand as if his patron sought to com- 
mence a quarrel, into which, for many reasons, he was unwill- 
ing to engage. He mastered his anger, and said, “ I have no 
wish to dispute with you. You have rendered me so many 
favors, that I will never repay them with evil, even if I had it 
in my power. If Hannah Fandrem contentedly looks forward 
to her marriage-day, that is her own affair.” 

“Yes,” murmured Helgestad, “you have nothing to do 
with it.” 

“No,” proudly rejoined the Dane; “and I shall never have 


360 


A r R A J A . 


anything to do with it ; for a good work is not accomplished 
with a bloody hand ” 

Helgestad extended his hard, yellow hand, without uttering 
a word. 

Marstrand continued, in a suppressed tone, “ Do you believe 
such a maiden could be so frivolous ? You vaunt of your hap- 
piness ; it may, ‘one day, crumble to pieces. You boast of 
your judgment and skill in speculation; it may fail, when you 
least think of it. I see a shadow near you, a black shadow — 
and is not your heart cold from the hand which lies upon it; 
can you always sleep soundly, when the night is dark, and the 
wind howls ?” 

Helgestad’ s countenance, for a moment, was pallid with fear; 
but he arose from his seat, and nodding with his customary 
crafty assurance, said, “Let every one trouble himself about 
his own concerns. I have lived a long life, Herr Marstrand, 
and expect to live many years yet. No one can say that Niels 
Helgestad ever did anything which he repented of. You came 
into my house as a blind man ; may your eyes find the right 
road. Care not for me, but for yourself. It is not my business 
to admonish, and to waste my words in the air; every one must 
look to it, that his roof is tight. Think as you please — my foot 
shall not budge, my hat shall not fall from my head ; but do 
you beware of evil report. Ilda,” he resumed, with a sharp 
glance, “is a maiden who is differently formed by God, and 
educated to other notions of propriety than a half-heathenish 
girl. In a few days she will repair to her husband’s house, in 
Tromsoe; and Hannah will dwell here, in Orenaes Gaard, 
with Bjornarne. There will be a couple of happy marriages, 
and I hope you will dance at them, Herr Marstrand ; sit down 
now, and let me know what you want, and how I can help 
you.” 

Marstrand accepted the invitation. He had perfectly under- 
stood Helgestad’s hints; he could imagine what Paul had 
related of him, and he could not conceal the truth. He described 
at large the actual state of things at Balsfiord, boasted of his 


AFRAJA. 


861 


industry and success, but could not deny that bis money was 
wasting away, and that he had need of a farther supply of pro- 
visions. 

Helgestad listened without expressing any reproof or objec- 
tion. He seemed to be glad to learn that the saw-mill was in 
construction, the difficult road almost completed, and that every 
thing was prepared for the wood-slide, by means of which the 
largest trunks could be conducted from the summit of the 
rocky precipices to the stream. 

“Nuh!” said he, “I have heard much of your doings; but 
I will come to Balsfiord and see for myself in a few days, when 
I have finished my labors here. I calculate it is no easy 
matter ; I have always, however, regarded you as a person able 
to carry through a difficult undertaking.” With a pleasing smile 
he gave him his hand, and then musingly said : “ We will con- 
sider of all these matters when we are at Balsfiord. Come, now, 
let us pass a merry evening, that you may be able to start out 
on your journey to-morrow with renewed strength, over the 
high fjeld, where the Lapps are already killing their fat beasts, 
gathering skins and horns, and making kommagers and covers, 
to be able to come down to the market at Lyngen church with 
full sacks. Will you visit the market ?” he asked. 

“I think not,” said Marstrand. 

11 You think not !” exclaimed Helgestad. tl The autumn 
market at Lyngen is the greatest of all. It brings in money, 
and we receive in barter many hides, feathers, and horns, 
together with reindeer meat for the winter, bear hams, and 
other dainties. There is no trader far and wide but may be 
found at it.” 

“ But you know my affairs,” replied the young proprietor, 
embarrassed ; “ and, besides, as I am entirely alone, my goods 
are not yet in order.” 

“Nuh!” said Helgestad, shaking his head; “it must be a 
strange sight; order is more precious than bread. You must 
not neglect the market; many things may happen in four 
31 


362 


APRAJA. 


weeks. Ask the pastor, and he will tell you that the thick- 
headed Quane there, would on no condition return to Loppen 
before he had spent his last penny at Lyngen market. Men 
and women resort to it from the Aussen islands, and expend 
there the earnings of a whole year.” 

He continued to chat on in this strain with Marstrand ; and 
when the latter sought to turn the conversation on his views 
touching his settlement, he was always met by the curt reply 
that he would come and see, and assist in person. The best 
information that the young settler had received, was an accurate 
account of the condition of the fish trade in Bergen, and the 
certainty that he had acted wisely in not making an immediate 
sale. The price had gone up over four species, and Fandrem 
had credited in his books a handsome sum to Marstrand’s 
account. 

“It is a lucky year!” exclaimed Helgestad; “and I would 
lay a handful of silver thalers upon it that it ends happily. 
Uve Fandrem opened wide his round eyes as I forced him to 
give you the highest price. I will not boast, in this particular, 
of my friendship, Herr Marstrand,” he continued, as he ob- 
served the sceptical expression on the face of his guest. “ I 
say it openly that it is my advantage that your accounts, for 
which I am security, should be as favorable as possible. You 
understand trade and traffic well enough to know that friend- 
ship is of no significance in it, and that every one will take 
whatever he can, even from his brother or father.” He 
chuckled with evident satisfaction at the soundness of his views 
on this subject, which he followed up with some humorous 
remarks upon his relative in Bergen. 

“Nuh ! the Gruildemeister has a sharp eye for many things. 
He has a high opinion of you; he thinks you are a man who 
will prosper in Finnmark ; in trade he is as hard and firm as a 
shark’s tooth. As a father, however, Uve is as tender and 
yielding as the reeds in a breeze of wind. His son fell in love 
in Hamburg, and has brought home a daughter-in-law without 


A F R A J A . 


363 


a dowry-chest, or a bag-full of mortgages and papers. She has 
nothing but her heart full of love and goodness, as Christi 
writes in a letter which I read. She is small and lean, like a 
lamb in spring. She is a poor orphan girl, who lived in the 
house of a merchant, who has children enough, and is not 
even one of the first of his class. What do you suppose Uve 
said to this story V* 

“ I suppose,” answered Marstrand, “ he approves of the love 
of his only son.” 

With a face like a cat that has tasted vinegar, Helgestad 
exclaimed, “ He is too clear-headed not to act judiciously. He 
has lost about thirty pounds in a few weeks, but he has not the 
courage to say 1 no/ because he is afraid, the old fool.” 

“ He will recognise his son, and provide against misfortune.” 

“ Nuh !” said Helgestad, “ Christi is indeed a different man 
from his father. He has the Nordland blood of his mother, is 
proud of temper, and, in addition, addicted to all kinds of 
frivolity. He esteems not old customs and laws. He holds he 
has a right to think for himself, and select his own wife. He 
bluntly writes that he does not wish to return to his father’s 
house, and renounces all, if Fandrem will not countenance his 
folly.” _ . 

“ And you made no opposition ?” 

“No,” said the trader. “Let him have the puppet; my 
door shall not open to her. Were he my son, he might run to 
the end of the world, but not to my arms. You know my 
principles, Herr ; I thank God for my children ! Ilda is the 
apple of my eye ; but I would rather see her steeped in misery, 
before she should suffer a man to enter her chamber who was 
not agreeable to me. Nuh ! Were I to say to Ilda, the squint- 
eyed Quane there shall carry you away to Loppen as his wife, 
she would bow assent, and would say, ‘ Thank you, father/ And 
if I were to send Bjornarne to Afraja’s gamme to fetch Gula 
away from there as his wife, he would answer, 1 Your will shall 
be done, father/ ” 


oG4 


A F It A J A . 


He regarded Marstrand, who smilingly replied, “ I do not 
doubt, Herr Helgestad, that Bjornarne would comply with your 
request; but it may be questioned if Afraja and Grula would 
give their assent.” 

“ We will not dispute about trifles,” exclaimed Helgestad; 
“ let every one hold on to what he has. I would not indeed 
marry Ilda to the changeling there from Loppen, although the 
ugly creature, who is as true and faithful as a dog, would be 
more acceptable to me as a son-in-law, than a man who flies 
over the earth like a snow-flake, until it is trodden down in 
some corner. — That fellow,” said he, in an exulting tone, “is 
far and near the best bird-catcher, and is a treasure for any one 
who knows how to profit by him. He brings me in a handsome 
quantity of species, much more than the island formerly produced, 
when its value was not appreciated. It was a wild rock in the 
midst of the stormy ocean; Afraja and his knavish companions 
frequented it every year, and claimed it as their property from 
the time of Jubinal. — Ha ! ha ! "Wingeborg got the better of 
them ; he threw them out of their nests, and plucked them as 
bare of their feathers as young auks. This is the thing, Herr 
Marstrand. Many a one has a good nest, but does not know 
it is lined with down, until some one comes who under- 
stands how to use it. So was it with the miserable people to 
whom all the land once belonged. Had they been more 
active and intelligent, it would have remained their property 
for all time to come.” 

He accompanied these remarks with so many confidential 
nods and winks, and with such a mixture of frankness, rough 
truth, and knavish cunning, that Marstrand was at a loss as to 
what he should believe. At last he threw his books aside, and 
invited his guest to join him in a fresh glass. 

On the following day, the young proprietor set out, with a 
heavy heart, on his return to Balsfiord. Ilda had not afforded 
him a single moment of confidential leave-taking; and if she 
had, what wish or request had he to leave behind him ? — It 


AFRA J A. 


365 


was a dark gloomy morning as his horse toiled up to the high 
fjeld. All the rugged isolated cones which rise out of the mass 
of splintered rocks that strew these elevated plains, were enve- 
loped in heavy clouds of fog. The dense masses revolved 
around the mountain ridges, and all the pagan gods and witches 
appeared to revel in them ; and fog, cloud, rain, and sunshine, 
to be struggling for mastery. — The signs foreboded a change 
of weather. The sun’s rays could not penetrate through the 
misty vapor, which fell cold and damp upon the traveller. 

An experienced person would not have regarded all these 
signs without apprehension, and he would have quickened his 
speed to the utmost. Marstrand, however, troubling himself 
but little about the weather, only occasionally turned his eyes 
upon the clouds. The icy shower fell soothingly upon his 
flushed face, tranquillising his troubled heart. — “ Never,” said 
he to himself, “ will I touch what is forbidden to me ; never 
more will I disturb the peace of this maiden, who rejects me 
because the voice of duty is stronger with her than the voice 
of her heart. — And do I know, then, that she loves me ? Has 
she ever said so ? Has she not repulsed me ; and to-day, yes, 
this Very day, as I took leave of her, was not her face as insen- 
sible as this flinty rock ? — And yet,” he exclaimed, in such a 
loud tone, that the horse started with fright, “yet she loves 
me! I know it; and a glance on her deep eyes, and these 
flowers, tell me so.” 

He took out the nosegay which Ilda had presented to him, and 
looked upon it ; but he hurriedly replaced it as he heard a cry 
in the distance behind him. As he halted his horse, he thought 
he perceived a figure on the rocky ridge, beckoning to him ; to 
his surprise, he saw the venerable pastor hastily advancing 
towards him. 

Klaus Hornemann, in his black over-coat, broad-brimmed 
hat, latchet shoes, and his long pilgrim’s staff, was the very 
image of a preacher in the wilderness. He carried a leather 
kuapsack upon his shoulders ; the brave old man laughed good- 
31 * 


866 


A FRA J A. 


naturedly as Marstrand blamed him for leaving Orenaes Gaard 
in such threatening weather. 

“ My dear friend,” said he, “ we must all be gone, when the 
Lord calls us, and have you not yourself set out to fulfil your 
duty ? Your presence induced me to tarry there below, where 
I do not willingly abide ; but I think now of passing some days 
with those by whom I am always kindly received.” Marstrand 
alighted and offered the old pastor his horse, but Hornemann 
declined it. 

“ Keep your seat,” he said, “ we shall not travel far together. 
I must soon turn to the right, to reach the four families who 
pasture their cattle at Ulvsfiord; you must, on the contrary, 
turn to the left, to ascend the high saddle of the fiord, in order 
to reach your house in good season.” He squeezed the water 
out of his long white hair and continued in his mild manner. 
“ For forty years, I have wandered around here, and my strength 
has not yet failed. The Lord has protected me in many storms. 
With this staff in hand, I have travelled farther than a horse 
could carry me ; delay not now, for we must both hurry on.” 

Thus speaking, he went ahead and showed Marstrand that he 
had lost none of his activity ; for he often travelled faster than 
his mounted companion, moderating his pace, when the sagacious 
horse carefully picked his way over the stones. As he walked 
along, he had much to tell of his foster children, the Lapps, 
which excited the sympathy of Marstrand. The venerable man 
vividly portrayed a picture of shepherd life in this wilderness. 
“ But you will see all with your own eyes,” he said ; “ when old 
Klaus can do nothing more for the protection of the forsaken, 
you will take his place, and one will at least bless you for it, 
and in spirit be with you.” 

“ This one,” replied Marstrand, excited by the remembrance, 
“ has more need of protection against her destroyers, than all 
others.” 

“No,” said the old man, “the Lord is with her, her soul is 
pure and her enemies can do nothing. I saw her to-day before 


AFR A J A. 


367 


I left. Her whole mind and character were as transparent 
before me as a clear brook. Ilda will never be unhappy, for 
her heart is strong, and her courage unyielding; it grieves her 
that a man who is dear to her, could not be so firm as she 
herself.” 

“ She spoke and thought of me ?” asked Marstrand. 

“ Ho you think she could do otherwise ?” answered the old 
man. u You will live in Ilda's thoughts as long as she breathes 
on this earth.” 

“ Hid she say that ? Hid her lips confess it ?” 

Klaus Hornemann nodded affirmatively with a melancholy 
smile. u Why should I conceal from you the noble, loveful 
sympathy which Ilda takes in your welfare ? It is proper that 
you should know that you possess a female friend who will 
cling to you with the purest and holiest sympathies of her heart. 
You know Helgestad, and you have yourself heard him say that 
he would rather tread his children under his feet than permit 
them to oppose his will. He fears Paul Petersen much more 
than he loves him ; but he is in his power, and cannot liberate 
himself from him ; he has promised her to the secretary before 
all the people, and it would be dishonorable to be false to his 
pledges. My dear son, I say and repeat to you all this, to inspire 
you with Ilda’s strength to overcome strength. She saw your 
grief, but she dared not trust herself with a smile or friendly 
look. She will never change her feelings towards you, and you 
must act as a just man, as you are.” 

u Accept my thanks for all your consolatory information and 
admonitions,” replied Marstrand. u Say toiler that I accede 
to her request. Who knows how long I may yet remain in her 
neighborhood? But wherever I may be, and if I again see 
her, no look of mine shall ever cause her sadness, and no word 
shall ever betray to her my feelings.” 

The mild and venerable countenance of the pastor shone 
with kindly sympathy. “ God's will must be fulfilled,” said 
he ; “ his strong hand heals the wounds which it inflicts. My 


368 


AFRAJA. 


dear friend, all will again become clear, if we remain strong in 
faith and restrain the violence of our passions. Even this 
waste, over which the wind drives the cold fog, is it not a pic- 
ture of our hopes ? Yesterday, it gloried in sunshine, variegated 
flowers, and mosses; to-day, they are level with the ground, and 
will soon disappear under ice and darkness. But where the roots 
are good, they cannot be injured; and when sunlight and fair 
weather return, the strong young shoots put forth again.” 

“Amen, father; amen !” exclaimed Marstrand; “every 
human being has his sorrow; I will bear mine.” 

“ Listen to an admonition which comes from good authority 
— not from Ilda,” he continued, smiling, “ for she is too obe- 
dient a child to warn against her own father. Paul Petersen 
is your enemy, and exerts all his influence to persuade Helge- 
stad to ruin you. His efforts are opposed, but you must take 
care not to anger Helgestad yet more. In this world, the good, 
according to the apostle, must be as wise as serpents to defeat 
the cunning malice of the wicked.” 

“ I am prepared for all,” said J olin ; “ Helgestad shall find 
me all right. If he thinks to throw a noose over my head, he 
will be disappointed.” 

“ Let us separate,” replied Klaus. “ I find the combatant 
awake and ready, and my soul rejoices in this young, undis- 
mayed strength. With God’s help, forward, then, Herr Mar- 
strand ! Would that he had ordained that I should place this 
hand in that of Ilda at his altar, on St. Michael’s day, instead 
of wedding her to a false and faithless man ! Now, as we sepa- 
rate, take this as a last remembrancer.” 

With these words, he drew out of his great-coat a piece of 
paper, folded as a letter, placed it in Marstrand’s hand, and pro- 
ceeded on his way with the bounding steps of a young man. 
For some moments, Marstrand stared at the paper, which was 
without superscription ; as he opened it, he recognised the hand- 
writing of Ilda. He lifted up his eyes and looked after the 
pastor, who was already concealed in the dark mass of fog. 


AFR A J A. 


3G9 


Alone in this dreary waste, he began to read the writing, while 
he held his cloak over it to shelter it from the driving rain and 
the wind, which threatened to tear it out of his hands. 

“John Marstrand,” he read, “suffer me to say a few words 
to you, which you may keep, if you choose ; for they are fare- 
well words, although I hope soon and often to see you again. 
You are a strange man, with strange customs ; but you under- 
stand me, nevertheless ; for God has created a keen and lively 
sympathy between us, as universal as human nature itself, and 
unaffected by distance of separation or the lapse of time. We 
have both felt it. You have wished to give it speech ; but I 
prevented it, because I dared not listen to it. I have perceived 
your bitter pain, the reproachful expression of your eyes, and 
your anger. Had I turned my ear to you, or proffered my 
hand, a voice of cursing and infamy would have pursued you 
and me. Therefore I freed myself from you. Know that 
I have eradicated from my heart all that should not be there, 
and it would be a criminal act of folly if you do not the same. 
I earnestly implore you to it, as I wish you happiness and peace. 
Do not suppose that I could think you would ever forget me, 
or that I shall ever cease to be your friend. My marriage will 
be celebrated on St. Michael’s day. Come and be the most 
welcome guest at it. I shall see you on my wedding-day, and 
do you be kind towards my husband, to whom I belong, and 
whom I wish to honor. Be cautious and prudent in your trans- 
actions with my father; for you have, indeed, need of it. 
Rest assured, from me, that I gladly look forward to my future 
destiny in Paul Petersen’s house. And now, may God’s bless- 
sing always rest upon you !” 

Marstrand held the letter a long while in his hand, as his 
horse moved along, contemplating its firm-set characters. No 
tremor of the hand had betrayed her feelings; no word was 
badly written, and no sentence was out of order. The whole 
of this letter of adieu was as composed and cool as if it were 
an affair of perfect indifference. “ There is no warm pulsation 

Y 


370 


AFRAJA. 


of the heart in it,” he said, as he folded it up ; and, moved by 
a sudden impulse, he tore it to pieces, and scattered the frag- 
ments to the wind. 

“No ! I have done right,” he exclaimed, drowning the voice 
of self-reproof ; “ let the wind carry away these pieces, and the 
rain destroy them ; so will I rid myself of this folly. She has 
driven me from her heart, as if I never had a place there ! She 
joyfully looks forward to her future ! She dissembles; she will 
soothe my wounded feelings, while she deceives me.” He 
laughed aloud, and wrapped his cloak more closely around him. 
The fog gathered so dense and heavy about him, that he could 
not distinguish twenty steps ahead. “ Yes,” he exclaimed, in 
the wild roar of the elements, “ I will dance at your wedding ; 
Paul Petersen shall have joy in me.” 

It seemed as if his laugh was answered by another, or was it 
an echo? Marstrand paid no attention to it, but rode on, 
leaving his horse to seek the way, which he could no longer 
find ; he grew alarmed, however, as the snow began to fall in 
heavy flakes, and his snorting horse suddenly came to a halt on 
the brink of a declivity. It was evident that he could not de- 
scend it ; but whither should he turn ? He deemed himself to 
be on the right course ; but his most searching glances could 
discover nothing. The mist seemed to grow thinner, but it yet 
closely enveloped him; clouds and whirlwinds of fine snow 
drove around him, benumbing him to the bones. He had heard 
of the Pana-rauk — the snow-storm which destroys all living 
things — and a dismal feeling came over him. In the few 
minutes that he stood on the brink of the descent, he was 
covered with snow, which clung to his damp clothes, and froze 
them stiff ; his horse had become perfectly white, and as far as 
he could see, the atmosphere was filled with the soft, white 
snow, which was whirled about in eddies by the violence of the 
wind. There was no standing still, or hesitating; but it was 
necessary to seek out some place of shelter, and to persevere in 
ihs pursuit of it with unflinching courage. There was no help 


AFRA J A. 


371 


to be looked for in that desolate waste, and no use in outcry, 
or attempting to turn back. Marstrand knew that he had no- 
thing to hope from others, and that human energy and patience 
alone could contend with the terrors of the elements : upon a 
sudden impulse, he sprang from his horse, seized the bridle, 
and was endeavoring to discover some place where he could 
lead the animal down into the steep, when, in the midst of the 
snow-gust, a figure rose up, which, at first, struck him with ter- 
ror, but afterwards inspired him with hope. 

At first, it appeared to be a frozen human form, on a rising 
rock in the snow. A peaked cap was drawn over the head, a 
brown fur jacket enveloped the body, on his arm lay a shep- 
herd’s staff, and a musket projected over his shoulders. It was 
a Lapp, who did not stir until Marstrand reached him, and re- 
cognized him as Mortuno. 

“ Hallo, friend !” he shouted to him, “ do you desire to be- 
come a snow statue ! Assist me in my need; and if you know 
any means of finding a place of shelter in the storm, speak, and 
let me hear of it.” 

“ Would you go below there ?” asked Mortuno, as he pointed 
with his staff to the ravine. 

“ It seems to me there is nothing else to be done, unless you 
know of something better.” 

“ If you succeed in it, very well ! You are young, and have 
much success,” exclaimed the Lapp, with a laugh. 

“An hour or two since, Mortuno, Klaus Hornemann, the 
pastor, left me, who assured me you were a sensible, well-dis- 
posed man. I bless the chance by which I find you ; but it 
would certainly be unjust for you to refuse me your services, 
which I will reward to the best of my ability.” 

The Lapp, at first, did not seem disposed to give up his pro- 
pensity for joking, and he grinned and made faces; but he soon 
assumed a more serious mood, and at last he jumped from the 
rock, and took the bridle of the horse. 

“'What would you do down there, Herr?” he inquired 


372 


APR A J A. 


“ You could hardly have got to the bottom in safety; and if 
you had, it would not have availed you anything ; for it is a 
steep and narrow declivity, which ends in cliffs and clefts, 
through which a wild elf plunges down to the Ulvsfiord. No 
one can get out of it, and even I would not attempt it,” he 
said, with a proud air ; “ when the snow-storm ceases, the hol- 
low may be half filled up. Follow me, and I will hunt you 
another place, which will suit us better.” 

He surprised his companion with his intelligible and quite 
tolerable Norwegian ; he drew the exhausted horse along over 
the rocks for a quarter of an hour, until they reached a high 
rock, bent like a horn, with a narrow chasm opening into a 
cavity in its interior. 

This was, doubtless, one of the spots where the Lapps were 
accustomed to seek rest or shelter with their herds. Great 
stones lay in a semi-circle around, and the ashes and soot indi- 
cated that many a fire had been lighted there. Mortuno threw 
off his coat of reindeer skin, turned over a stone which covered 
an excavation, and drew out some dry moss, birch twigs, leaves, 
and grass. In the next moment he kindled a light from his 
tinder-box; a comfortable sensation came over Marstrand, as 
he sat by the fire and felt its vivifying warmth on his body. 
Upon the saddle of his horse, who appeared to be better pleased 
here than without, hung a bundle, which was filled in Orenaes 
with bread and meat, and a flask of good Holland gin ; what 
better could the traveller do than to spread out his treasures 
and divide them with Mortuno, who did not wait to be pressed, 
but valiantly helped himself. John next took out his travelling 
cup, made in Bergen of the hard knot of the Norwegian birch; 
but, to his astonishment, Mortuno could with difficulty be 
persuaded to taste a drop of a liquor which his brethren coveted 
with such insatiable avidity. 

“ You can do it,” said he, as Marstrand took a deep drink ; 
“ but I dare not. My people have not the cool head and the 
sluggish blood which yours possess ; at least, I believe, that all 


AFR A J A. 


373 


depends on this. For how otherwise could a Norman drink a 
quart measure full before his entrails burn. His head may 
shake to and fro, and his legs totter, and yet he knows what lie 
is about. With the Samoyedes,” he continued, “the blood 
flows fast, and the head is hot. When they drink, they fall 
down and wallow about like swine. A Norman needs the fire- 
water to warm him when he is cold ; a Samoyede needs only 
his reindeer and his cover. Although the breath freezes on his 
mouth, he does not feel the cold; and when lie has lost his way 
in a Fana-rauk, he does not crawl into a ravine where he must 
perish / f 

He burst into a laugh at his own wit, and Marstrand joined 
with him. “You are entirely right, friend Mortuno,” he 
replied ; “ but tell me, now, what we shall do if the weather 
continues as it is.” 

The Lapp shrugged his shoulders, and looked cunningly at 
him with his little round eyes. “I do not know, my good 
Herr,” he considerately replied; “snow-storms often last 
a week ; and if the white sand is deep enough, we dig a hole 
and sleep until it ceases.” 

“ What !” asked Marstrand, terror-struck, “ can that happen ?” 

“ It has often occurred,” replied Mortuno. “ I have my- 
self lain nine days in a snow-hole, and have eaten up half my 
fur in hunger. Whither will you go?” he continued, as 
Marstrand arose and went to his horse. 

“ If such be the case, we had better get out.” 

“Not I,” laughed the Lapp. “ I am no fool, and will keep 
my neck and legs sound. Look out; you cannot see a dozen 
steps ahead. You cannot long hold out, and so you will lie 
down, tumble into a ditch or chasm, and your benumbed horse 
will be unable to go on. If he were a reindeer, he could easily 
make his way. If you were a Samoyede, you would carry your 
head in the air, and you could see. Ha ! ha ! you are a proud 
Herr, a Norman, and you would be a Samoyede ! Is it not so : 
Speak, Herr, tell me, would you not like to be a Samoyede ?” 
32 


374 


A F R A J A . 


lie stretched himself out upon the warm stones, and laughed 
to his utmost, while Marstrand anxiously looked at the weather, 
which appeared to be wilder than ever. 

“ Why did you come up to us here ?” continued Mortuno. 
“ What do you want in our land, where you are as children who 
do not know what to do ? Sit down here by me, Herr, and be 
patient. You can do nothing.” 

“ If I were Olaf or Helgestad,” said Marstrand, “ I would 
compel you to guide me on the way.” 

“ If you were Helgestad,” responded the Lapp, with a reck- 
less levity, “ I had left you drown in the elf ; and if you were 
Olaf, who has already two holes in his hat, I would have sent 
a third shot into your heart.” 

“ Beware, Mortuno ; you have a sad account to settle. If 
Olaf meets you, it would be better for you to be lying in the 
elf ; if the Sorenskriver lays hands upon you, he will scourge 
you at the whipping-post till the blood flows ; and if Helgestad 
catches you, you will not come off much better. You killed 
Wingeborg’s dog, and he has sworn to be the death of you.” 

“Has he, the poisonous wolf, has he Mortuno already by the 
ear?” exclaimed the Lapp, clapping his hands. “Let him 
come here, let them all come, we have nooses enough to take 
them by the horns.” 

At the very moment he said this, a dog barked directly on 
the outside of the rock, and the curious, tall, and slender form 
of Egede Wingeborg, the Quane, appeared at the entrance. 
His slender body was enveloped in a leather coat; and from 
beneath his glazed hat, covered with snow, peeped out his red, 
broad face and distorted eyes. He rushed by Marstrand like a 
shadow, and with a grip of his long arm he seized Mortuno by 
the throat before the latter could get on his legs. 

The whole proceeding was so sudden, so surprising, and so 
noiseless, that Marstrand only came to his senses as Wingeborg 
drew a long knife out of his girdle, which, in a moment more, 
he would probably have plunged in the throat of the Lapp, who 


AFRAJA, 


375 


was so tightly grasped that ho could not utter a word. Mar- 
strand seized Egede’s arm in time, and jvith all his strength 
tore him away from his victim. Mortuno quickly profited h 0 od 
this timely aid. He rolled off the stones, sprang up, am 1 
his short gun in hand, he uttered a cry of fury and vengeance. 

The two enemies stood facing each other, and Marstrand 
between them ; the little dog lay howling before his master. 

“ Why do you hinder me ?” cried Egede. “ Why did you lay 
hold of me and kick my dog away ? Fine thanks to a man 
who offered to seek you in the storm, when the maidens in 
Orenaes were anxious for your safety.” 

“ You shall not commit a murder, as long as I can prevent 
it,” replied Marstrand. “ If you have a complaint against the 
Lapp, present it. He is a man like you, and the laws are made 
for all.” 

“ A man !” exclaimed the Quane. “ He is a Lapp, a beast, 
not a man. Out of your corner, you thief ! I will slice you like 
a fish, and salt you like a herring.” 

Mortuno naturally declined to comply with this kind request. 
He crept down yet closer behind the rock, and laid his finger 
upon the trigger of his gun, without uttering a word in reply. 

“ He would be a fool to obey you,” said Marstrand, laughing. 

“ Good, so he will go with me, we will all go,” said Winge- 
borg. “ I will present him to the Sorenskriver, as you recom- 
mend. Take the gun away from the cowardly dog, and we will 
bind his hands.” 

“ I fear, my friend Wingeborg,” answered John, “ he will 
not be satisfied with this arrangement; as to me, I have no 
desire to return to Lyngenfiord.” 

“ Ha !” cried Egede fiercely, “ will you not help me to take 
a scoundrel whom my masters are seeking, and who has treated 
us all so scurvily ?” 

“He has done me good,” replied Marstrand. “Without 
him, I would yet be wandering about in the storm, and might 
have perished. I have broken bread with him, and have shared 


376 


APRAJA. 


my drink with him, so be satisfied, Egede Wingeborg. We are 
sitting together here in a free haven ; do as you please with the 
whWw when you find him again ; to-day, however, let there be 
1 WJt i Come, Egede,” he continued, “sit down alongside of 
the guest-fire. You, Mortuno, lay aside your weapon, and take 
your place on the other side. Between you be the fire, and 
here stands the bottle. Drink a full glass, lord of Loppen, and 
drown your trouble in the consolatory draught.” 

He handed the Quane his glass; but he drew back with 
disgust. “ Cursed be my hand, if I touch it !” he exclaimed. 
“ Has not a Lapp drunk out of it ? Are you not ashamed to 
offer it to me ?” 

“ Have I not, myself, drunk from it, you fool ?” 

“ Have you ?” rejoined Egede, contemptuously. “ The 
Devil ! I would not tell anybody. Are you a Norman, a man of 
good blood, and will you drink with a filthy lubber, a reindeer 
driver, more stupid and malicious than a hog? Ho, ho V’ he 
cried, swinging his hat in triumph, “ God be thanked ! You 
are a Dane ! I will tell them in the Gaard, where I met you. 
I would rather be ten feet deep beneath the snow, than pass an 
hour in such society. You thief ! You murderer ! Beware 
of Egede ! He will find you again, and so true as I have tapped 
more than one Lapp, will I mark you, that all may avoid you.” 

With this fearful threat, he turned his back and left his com- 
panions, without being recalled by any one. Marstrand was 
vexed at the idea of what this miserable churl might report of 
him. Mortuno stood for some time more with his cocked gun, 
as if he feared that Egede would return ; but he, at last, laid 
it aside and approached Marstrand, who sat on the rock, gazing 
in the distance. 

The Lapp knelt down, and suddenly taking the hand of his 
protector, raised it to his lips. 

“ What does that mean ?” roughly exclaimed the Dane. 

“ Permit me, Herr, permit me !” said Mortuno, whose dark 
eyes beamed with a gratitude which mellowed his features into 
a soft and friendly expression. “ You are good and true, and 


AFR A J A. 


377 


much better than I. Mortuno will always serve you to the 
utmost of his ability.” 

“If you could only, my poor Mortuno, procure us good 
weather, and stop the snow !” 

“Have no fear,” replied Mortuno, springing up, “it will not 
snow long ; and if you choose, we will immediately set out, and 
I will guide you. Snow-clouds cluster over the fjeld, but they 
do not descend to the valleys. In a few days all will be water, 
and it often melts in a few hours. You will see that no one at 
the green Balsfiord has heard of this.” 

“ So you brought me here without any particular necessity ?” 

Mortuno was embarrassed. u I brought you here,” said hc> 
humbly, “ because I cannot bear the men of the fiords. They 
ridicule and despise us; what shall we do? We jest with 
them when we can. Punish me, if you choose.” 

u You would also drive your joke with me,” answered Mar- 
strand, “ although I treat you so much more mildly than Olaf. 
Beware, Mortuno, you have seen what you have to expect.” 

The Lapp cunningly rolled about his little eyes. u Let them 
come up to me, I shall not go down to seek them. The Quane 
is a wicked churl, and his dog a devil ; but I sent one to his 
father in hot hell, and if he again goes a-hunting ” 

He struck the barrel of his gun, and, with a loud laugh, 
leaped in the air. He ran up to the horse, fastened the saddle 
on, again packed the provisions, slung his gun over his 
shoulders, and all was made ready for the journey. As he 
took off his ugly cap, and bound together his shining black 
hair, his young face appeared quite handsome. It glowed with 
a happy expression, and he seemed to rejoice at what he had 
done, and to think of his powerful enemies with an undismayed 
spirit. 

“ Curious !” said Marstrand, in a half audible tone, as he 
’regarded the merry, active being before him. “ Many a one 
has good understanding and talents, but they are, nevertheless, 
too bad for such a monster as the Quane.” 

32 * 


378 


AFEAJA. 


Mortuno heard the remark. “ That,” &?.Id he, while he was 
tying a long leather loop on the bridle, “ comes from our hear- 
ing all that these proud men inflict upon us. There is no 
wrong too great not to find patient necks. How could they 
respect us, when they see that we are miserable women ? Do 
we respect the dog which we kick with our feet, and who, in 
return, crawls upon his belly and licks our hands V’ He threw 
his hat in the air, and his eyes flashed again. “Men esteem 
men !” he exclaimed, “ and they are just towards each other, 
when they know that wrong is retaliated.” 

“ If such be your principle of action,” said Marstrand in a 
musing mood, “travelling over the fjeld will soon become 
insecure.” 

“ You may travel as much as you choose,” replied the Lapp, 
“you will be welcome everywhere. Afraja protects you.” 

“And it was this high protection, my dear Mortuno, that 
prevented you from sending me into the fearful abyss, and 
induced you only to play off a little less perilous joke upon 
me.” 

Mortuno burst into a laugh. “ Had the secretary or Ilelge- 
stad stood there, I would have pushed them in. I hate them 
all, for they deserve it.” 

He drew the horse by the halter out of the place of refuge, 
and although it yet stormed and snowed with violence, he 
resumed the journey in a somewhat different direction from 
that which Marstrand had taken. Mortuno declared that it 
would soon cease snowing, a prediction which was realised. 
Half an hour later, the sky was clear, and the wind blew mild 
from the south ; the Lapp conducted the traveller with great 
prudence and care, sounded with his long stick, where it 
seemed insecure, and was indefatigable in assisting the horse, 
all the time running about hither and thither, laughing, jesting, 
and relating anecdotes of one kind or another. 

His companion amused himself with his remarks, which were 
Home times very droll and sharp-witted ; and when he described 


APR A J A. 


379 


Helgestad and the traders, he was sure to hit the nail on the 
head. He was, on the contrary, profoundly silent touching 
his own life and the affairs of his people, and he said not a 
word of Gula. As Marstrand at last inquired after her, he 
professed to know nothing of her, and ran ahead to escape 
further questions. When he came back, he had considered 
upon an answer. 

“ The birch droops its head,” he said ; “ it is no time to 
think of a maiden. When the leaves become green again, 
Ayra the goddess of love stretches out her red hands ! Then 
will my gamme look beautiful — young grass and flowers are 
strewed about, and Gula will sit at the hearth-stone, and offer 
me the bowl of rich milk. The clouds lift up from the moun- 
tains, and the sun shines brightly. So beams the face of Gula 
on my coming.” 

He began to whistle and sing a tune, looking all the while 
with a curious smile at Marstrand, and exclaiming that it was 
his marriage-song, which he had composed himself. He sud- 
denly came to a pause, and pointed through a rift in the fog. 
“ Behold the Balsfiord !” he shouted. “ There it lies; that is 
your land, Herr, there can you dwell and take fish. Leave us 
to pasture our cattle, here above, in peace.” 

Marstrand looked down into the depth below, which opened 
before him, and descried the green fiord. Not far off he re- 
cognized his own house, which, at that moment, was illumi- 
nated by a ray of sunlight that broke through the cloud. 

“ I thank you, good Mortuno,” he said; “and you are right 
in all. We must remain there with our claims and vexations; 
to you belongs the mountain kingdom, with all its contents. 
Accompany me, and rest with me.” 

The Lapp shook his head. “ Thanks, Herr,” he exclaimed, 
“ you have spoken it ; we remain in our land.” 

“ Have no fear of Olaf,” resumed Marstrand. “ I will re- 
concile him with you.” 

“ You cannot persuade him to give me his hand, as you do,” 


380 


AFRAJA. 


said Mortuno ; “ and I would not take it. If you alight, and 
give your horse the bridle, you can pick your way down, and 
he will follow you. Farewell ; Mortuno will not forget you.” 
With this remark, he sprang back into the darkness of the 
mist, unheeding the call of Marstrand to return. 


CHAPTER XYI. 

Marstrand had, on the next day, abundance to do, again to 
accustom himself to his solitary, yet active life. He found that 
Olaf had gone to work with practical earnestness. The ware- 
house was finished, the dwelling was put in order and com- 
pleted within, and furnished with all kinds of domestic arti- 
cles ; and the wares and stores were properly arranged. Mar- 
strand proceeded to examine his works, the success of which 
had, indeed, not been promoted by his absence. The saw-mill 
was not yet ready, and his directions had not been properly car- 
ried out. His plans of improvement had been frustrated by 
the opposition of the mechanics, who would not deviate from 
their ancient habits, and these were inapplicable to the pre- 
sent case. The young proprietor endeavored, by greater exer- 
tions, and more persevering patience, to accomplish his plans ; 
and it was only when he himself set to work, and was actively 
engaged from morning till night, that he succeeded in giving 
the right direction to his plans. He had found the means, by 
his knowledge of mechanics, to erect his mills in a better man- 
ner than was the custom ; and in the ship-yards and wood-yards 
of his native country he had also obtained an acquaintance with 
timber, and the mode of handling it, that was of material 
assistance to him now. The Norwegian workmen had derided 


A F R A J A . 


381 


the Dane, who seemed to think he had all the wisdom in his 
own pocket ; but they now saw, with half-credulous astonishment, 
that a well-arranged pulley could raise more than twelve men, 
that every thing could be better secured by pegs and screws, 
and that much manual labor might be obviated by the inge- 
nious appliances of art. 

Marstrand now looked upon his labors with the most confi- 
dent hope. All his experiments succeeded ; he had his head 
full of plans, and he wished that Helgestad were on the spot to 
witness the progress he had made. But little more was neces- 
sary to crown his labors with triumph, and to put to the blush 
his enemies and revilers. As he contemplated his works, he 
could imagine how much better they would appear in another 
year; and, as he walked through the little valleys which be- 
longed to him, he proudly thought of what they might be 
made to produce, when occupied by industrious colonists. At 
that time, also, many Finlanders emigrated from the east into 
the unsettled country, where they gave full scope to their in- 
domitable activity, and love of agriculture. An attempt was 
made to introduce colonies into the waste places of Norway; and 
Olaf desired to obtain such colonists, who, in his opinion, would 
here find the best situation in all Finnmark. 

With such hopes, the young settler, after a week’s absence, 
returned from his excursion ; his heart beat stronger as, in the 
distance, before his door, he discerned a little caravan, which 
had just arrived. He perceived Helgestad, Paul Petersen, who 
was shaking Olaf by the hand, and the uncouth Egede, stand- 
ing by the horses, and waving his hat, with a loud hurrah, as a 
sign of greeting. Marstrand hurried on to his guests, to all of 
whom he gave a hearty welcome, not even excepting the secre- 
tary himself. 

“1 thank you heartily, Herr Helgestad, for having so 
promptly performed your promise to visit me at Balsfiord 
Seat yourselves, while I see what I have in the house. It is 


382 


A F R A J A . 


some time past noon ; but wliatever I have, shall be set before 
you.” 

“ Nuh !” exclaimed Ilelgestad, after him ; “ it will be little 
enough. Olaf has grown lean. I think so; is it not so?” 

With this witticism he clapped the Nordlander on the shoul- 
der, who, indeed, was much leaner than formerly, when at 
Lyngenfiord, and appeared to relish but little the laugh at his 
expense. 

1 1 Heaven defend us !” said the trader ; “ you look as sour as 
an unripe cucumber in Ilda’s pot. I bring you greetings from 
her, and from all. Ilda has a deep longing after her Ole; she 
will not rest with fresh syld and sweet groat-soup, until he again 
stands full and stout in his coat.” 

“ Let her make the experiment on Paul,” said Olaf, “ if that 
can be done.” 

Helgestad put his finger on the side of his nose, with a cun- 
ning look at the secretary, who was, truly, thin enough. — 
“Nuh !” he exclaimed, “if he were cooked in all the fat which 
comes from the Lofodden, none would nevertheless adhere to 
his ribs. It is another thing with you, Ole. You are made of 
stouter stuff; you have young, firm flesh, like a stag; and you 
always had a pleasing face, which wrung sighs from the 
maidens.” 

Helgestad knew that he vexed them both, and he was se- 
cretly as much amused with Paul’s feigned good-humor as with 
Olaf’s sullen grumble. Turning to the Nordlander, he said, 
“ Have you heard that on St. Michael’s day there is to be a 
marriage in Orenaes Gaard ?” 

“ I have heard of it,” was the answer. 

“ Ilda can scarcely bide the time,” said Helgestad. 

“ I do not believe it,” said Olaf, as he turned round to go 
away. 

Helgestad held him fast, without moving from his seat. — • 
“Nuh!” he said, “I would have been satisfied if Ilda had 
said, ‘ I will have this one and no other, father/ But she has 


APRAJA. 


383 


said nothing of the kind. I hope you know now what she 
sends you, Ole.” 

“ I know the message that is sent,” replied Olaf ; “ it is to 
go home, and before St. Michael’s day I shall be shooting snipe 
in Bodoen.” 

“ Good 1” continued the trader ; “ the snipe there are the 
best in the world, and as large and fat as ducks. I have 
eat? many a one with your father, Ole, who was my friend 
as long as he lived ; and your mother cooked them famously.” 

“ Come when you will,” said the young man, “ my door will 
be open to you.” 

“Orenaes Gaard will ever have a willing welcome for my 
friends,” replied Helgestad. “ I hope you will not forsake 
Bjornarne, the companion of your boyish days.” 

“ I will never,” answered the Nordlander; “but with him 
there” — pointing to the secretary with his extended finger — 
“ with that false man I will have nothing to do.” 

Paul, who had quietly listened, shrugged his shoulders with 
a smile. “ You are an old Berserker,” said he, “ who neither 
sees nor hears anything, suffers himself to be used by every- 
body, and, like a true slave, runs into the fire for his master, 
without thinking that it will burn.” 

“ Hush !” exclaimed Olaf, with a dark frown. “ You lie.” 

“ You will come to your senses sooner than you think,” con 
tinued Paul. 

“ Will you not go with us ?” asked the trader. 

“No!” 

“ Nuh ! remain then. You have no great estate in Bodoen 
that calls you thither. I will place you in the new Gaard; 
you shall take care of it, and administer it ; and I assure you, 
you will be satisfied with me.” 

Olaf looked at him with astonishment. “What do you 
mean ?” he roughly inquired. 

“ You shall hear,” responded Helgestad. 


384 


A F R A J A . 


" Let me speak a word with him previously,” said Paul. " I 
will open his eyes, that he may learn to see.” 

Marstrand reentered the Stuga, followed by a maid-servant, 
bringing what she had been able to find. The fragments of a 
leg of mutton were set upon the table, with a loaf of black 
bread. With the addition of coffee the entertainment was 
completed ; for the poverty of which Marstrand apologised. 

"It is curious !” said Helgestad, laughing; "you have game 
enough here, birds of all kinds, a sea full of fish that swim up 
to your very threshold. You are a careless fellow, as I see ; 
but I hope you have bestowed more attention on other 
matters.” 

" Truly !” answered John, " I have not had time to look after 
my table, and Olaf has forgotten it. We have both worked 
from morning till night, without thinking of fishing or hunting ; 
but we will take care to provide better to-morrow.” 

" I hope so !” said Helgestad, drawing the dish towards him, 
which he obliged Paul Petersen to divide with him. The meat 
disappeared in a few minutes, and both then attacked the 
bread. 

"Have you no butter in the house — no?” asked the trader. 

Marstrand was obliged to confess he had not. 

" And not a slice of cheese ?” asked Paul. 

There was none. 

" Why,” said the secretary, laughing, " why did you not beg 
your good friend Mortuno for a Lapland cheese, or plunder his 
hunting-bag, as you sat with him under the rock ? Hid Herr 
Marstrand bring you nothing, Olaf?” 

" What should he bring with him ?” 

" A new hat, at least, in place of the one torn by the bullet. 
Mortuno is a polite man.” 

" I will teach him !” said Olaf, menacingly. "It is a pity 
that he met such a magnanimous friend. Wingeborg cannot 
forget it yet.” 

" Nuh !” said Helgestad, interrupting, " I must say, Herr 


AFRAJA. 


385 


Marstraud, your conduct lias not been acceptable to any of us. 
For Olaf’s sake, you should not have protected tbe scoundrel. 
You ought to have taken and bound the fellow, that he might 
receive his reward.” 

‘‘Do you know nothing of it?” asked Paul of the Nord- 
lander. 

The latter shook his head in denial. 

“ You must admit that it is high time to make an example ; 
for the rabble every day grow bolder and more lawless. Com- 
plaints are also made of the Lapps from other places. They 
cruelly beat a man at Maursund who was hated by them ; they 
fired the house of a fisherman at Quanearnerfiord ; and robbe- 
ries have been committed such as were never before known. 
The villains laugh at us below; when they are among their 
mountains, they rattle their guns about our ears and howl jest- 
ing songs after us. It is all a soup brewed by the infernal 
churl, Afraja. The old scamp spurs them on, and Mortuno is 
his best helper. They might set Orenaes Gaard on fire by night, 
and might no longer content themselves with sending their bul- 
lets through hats merely. They are wicked, heathen people, 
without any tender feelings ; they hate all Christians, and those 
most, who do them good. An example must be made of some 
of them, to humble the rest. Mortuno shot Wingeborg’s dog, 
he put Olaf’s life in danger with his accursed hand, and for 
this he should be taken and delivered up, instead of being pro- 
tected.” 

“Did you help him?” asked Olaf, angrily. 

“I did;” replied Marstrand. “Shake not your arm against 
me ; hear me ; for you would have done the same.” 

He related what had happened; and in conclusion, he ex- 
claimed, as he observed that his remarks produced but little 
impression on his hearers, “ Should I have suffered a man to be 
murdered before my eyes ? Ought I to have taken, and helped 
to bind and deliver to his enemies, a man who received me when 
I had lost my way and was in danger? Never will I raise my 
33 z 


386 


AFR A J A. 


hand for such a purpose ! You complain that the Lapps are 
hostile to you : treat them with humanity, and they will be con- 
ciliated. The Yoigt of Tromsoe will make an example; but it 
will only be a new inhumanity. I cannot change this cruel sys- 
tem of treatment — alas ! I cannot ; but I will not aid in its 
maintenance.” 

“ But you will rave against your own friends,” said the secre- 
tary. 

“Kevile as much as you please, Herr Petersen,” rejoined 
Marstrand, with increasing warmth ; “ I can bear it. I have 
become acquainted, among these persecuted and despised Lapps, 
with better men than ” 

“ Than we are !” interrupted Paul, striking his breast. 

Marstrand made a repelling, contemptuous gesture. 

“ Cursed be Jie who can be the friend of a Lapp !” exclaimed 
Olaf, with a tremendous blow of his fist on the table. 

Helgestad rose and requested peace. “ Young blood always 
runs too fast, and never knows discretion. Let Herr Marstrand 
do what he deems best. The people in the south think differently 
from us in the north. We will go, Herr Marstrand, and look 
at your operations. As you have taken but little care of your 
house and table, your external industry must probably be so 
much the greater.” 

Marstrand followed him, and he summoned up all his self- 
possession to overcome his anxiety of mind and his angry 
feelings. 

“ I must be cautious,” he whispered to himself, “and re- 
member that this man has my fate in his hands. I will not 
forget the admonitions that I have received. He can hardly 
be well disposed, or he would not have brought the secretary 
with him. Yet, I hope to reconcile him. He must, when ho 
sees it, commend what I have accomplished at Balself, and what 
I shall offer him will gratify his thirst for gain.” 

He smiled as Helgestad looked into the great shop, which 
seemed tolerably bare, and grumblingly shook his head at the 
confused mass of goods. 


AFR A J A. 


387 


ct You have forgotten my instructions, Herr,” lie said, as they 
walked on. “ A trading-post is the true foundation of every 
establishment in Finn mark. If this is not conducted with 
order and attention, there can be no prosperity. You have 
done nothing which shows you to be a practical man. You 
have no account-book, no fishing-grounds, no drying-stands ; you 
have instituted no system of barter, and made no provision of 
cattle ; nor have you procured any colonists.” 

“ Only be patient, and all will come, Herr Helgestad,” an- 
swered the gaard-proprietor. “ What you have mentioned shall 
be my next care. Already I have made preparations thereto, I 
pledge my word ! In another year more, you will be satisfied 
with it. Think only that I am alone, and that I have not a 
thousand hands. I have attacked the greatest difficulties first, 
and I have succeeded. See what I have accomplished. Ob- 
serve the troublesome road hewn out of the rock ; look at those 
bridges, the dam which I have built, the sawing-machines, and 
what exertions I have made to render the wood-slide serviceable 
for the next spring.” 

He conducted Helgestad further on, and with eloquent words 
explained to him his difficult labors, and the advantages he 
expected to derive from them. 

The countenance of the crafty old speculator gradually 
brightened up, and his increasing satisfaction was manifested by 
a prolonged “Null!” from the depths of his throat. The new 
structures for the saw-mills received his especial approbation. 
He suffered Marstrand to explain his improvements and inven- 
tions, and with much satisfaction, witnessed the easy process 
of cutting the blocks, exclaiming it was the best he had ever 
seen. 

u So I trust,” said Marstrand, 11 that your confidence in me 
will not be shaken, and that your own hopes will be realized.” 

“ God grant it ! I think so,” answered Helgestad. “I have 
always said you have a head which can effect something.” 

“ And I will,” rejoined Marstrand. “ I am inexperienced 


388 


APR A JA. 


in shopkeeping, and in many other matters which appertain to 
a trading-post, but I will learn, and shall be as grateful to you 
for your good advice and just censure, as for your assistance. 
This help I cannot dispense with. I ask for additional aid. 
Will you listen to what I offer you in compensation.” 

“Nuh !” answered Helgestad. “I have two ears; go on.” 

They had arrived at the brink of the wooded chasm, where 
.he Balself, with a bold leap from the rocky basin, in which it 
,-aas gathered its foaming waters, plunges into the fiord. Here, 
Helgestad halted, and surveyed the bright, sunny shore of the 
gulf, which, covered with trees, and green strips of meadow, 
stretched to the red porphyry rocks, which formed a precipitous 
wall behind Marstrand’s peaceful Gaard. The little valleys, 
opening on all sides, revealed their glittering brooks and water- 
falls ; the mill-wheels, lashed by the stream, scattered drops of 
spray and mist about ; the woods rang with the cries of the 
workmen and wood-cutters, and the echoing blows of the axe. 
Everywhere were activity and industry, and the whole evening 
picture looked so beautiful, that Helgestad himself regarded it 
with pleasure. His imagination, which was not remarkably 
sensible to the charms of nature, was incited by this prospect 
to another course of reflection. He calculated, and his eyes, 
as Marstrand spoke to him, assumed a penetrating expression. 
He nodded and grinned as if he was wondrously pleased, turning 
his attention every now and then, below, where Paul Petersen, 
with Olaf on his arm, ascended the rocky hill, between the 
trees, and approached them, while engaged in animated conver- 
sation. 

u What I offer you, Herr Helgestad,” said Marstrand, u is, 
in return for your generous aid, to divide with you the profit 
which may flow from this undertaking. You have hitherto 
advised me ; you have perceived the treasure which is here, and 
through your influence it has fallen into my hands. Without 
your powerful support, it would not have been possible 
for me to gain it, and as I have further need of your 


A PR A J A. 


389 


assistance, it is but proper that I should offer you the half of 
the, profit.” 

“ The half !” exclaimed Helgestad, leaning on his stick ; “ 1 
have no wish for the half. I am also not magnanimous. I set 
but little value upon a thing which seems as full of holes as a 
barrel.” 

“ Give it whatever name you please,” continued John, with 
a smile. “Say that you laid your plan to obtain a real profit, 
and that you knew that I would succeed as I have.” 

“You have guessed it to a hair,” replied Helgestad. 

“ You also knew that I would gratefully divide the profits 
with you.” 

“ May be,” answered Helgestad, “but it is an old saying; he 
who takes a pleasure in dividing, will also to deceive. I 
will therefore neither share, nor be deceived, Herr Marstrand ; 
I will have what is . mine, and in a word, I tell you I am come 
here to look after my rights.” 

“ What do you mean, Herr Helgestad ?” asked Marstrand, 
astounded. “ What do you call your rights ?” 

The trader grinned at him, took off his hat, and smoothed 
back his tangled, pale-yellowish hair. “ Nuh !” said he, “ we 
must look things in the face. I have become acquainted with 
your housekeeping, Herr Marstrand, and I calculate matters 
cannot go on much longer in this way. Experience is another 
thing than the will and love of labor. You have wasted your 
provisions, squandered your money, and neglected my counsel. 
There are eight thousand species to pay in Bergen, eight 
thousand in Orenaes, and you will borrow more ; but it will 
go the same way. As I look at the Gaard there, I expect 
that it will have to be sold at Tromsoe, with all its dependen- 
cies, woods, mills and the costly dam upon which you have 
lavished my money; I should like to see the man who will 
lay the twelve thousand species on the table. I calculate also, 
it need not be sold unless you insist upon it.” 

33 * 


390 


AFRAJA. 


“ I — Iierr Helgestad — I,” exclaimed Marstrand, in amaze- 
ment, casting a rapid glance on the secretary and Olaf, who 
had come np at that moment, and* then staring at the old 
speculator as if he did not understand him. 

“ You,” resumed Herr Helgestad with a nod; “for if you 
do not accept my proposition, it must be sold to the highest 
bidder. It will then be seen what is left, and it depends upon 
me to decide what proceedings shall be resorted to, if the pro- 
ceeds do not cover your debt. I can imprison you, compel you 
to labor, and hold on to what you have ; but I hope we shall 
settle matters amicably. I am not a man of cruel and despotic 
temper, and will let you off as easily as I can.” 

“If I understand you rightly,” said Marstrand, who had 
become deadly pale, “ you will refuse me any further assist- 
ance 

“ Nuh 1” replied the old man with a grinning laugh, “ my 
skull must be as flat as the head of a Lapp, if I give you a 
penny.” 

“ Then I must see where I can find another man who has 
more confidence in me.” 

“Do so,” said Helgestad, “but procure my money — I must 
have it back.” 

“ You shall have it,” responded Marstrand. “ Give me a 
respite, and I will endeavor to obtain it.” 

“ A respite ! There is no agreement for such in the bond, 
Herr. It is settled by our law, however, that when it is not 
otherwise provided, every debt must be covered and repaid 
between one day and the next.” 

“ How!” violently ejaculated Marstrand ; “can this be your 
intention ? It seems to me that you have sought, with studied 
cunning, to accomplish my ruin.” 

“Consider your words, Herr Marstrand,” said Petersen, 
joining in the conversation. “ You make grave charges against 
Niels, who, if he seeks to punish you, can bring you to a bitter 
repentance.” 


AFRAJA. 


391 


“ Null !” said Helgestad, “ I desire nothing but my money, 
and to this I certainly have a right. Here stands the country 
judge ; ask him, if you do not believe me. I notify you to-day, 
in presence of both these witnesses, that you owe me the sum 
of sixteen thousand silver species ; and, according to the custom 
and law, if it be not paid by to-morrow, I intend to confiscate 
your property and take it out of your possession.” 

“ By the law, this request must be complied with without 
delay,” said Paul Petersen. “ By virtue of my office as a sworn 
secretary, I can step in, and oblige a sale within a week, if 
security is not offered, or the debtor is proven to be destitute 
of means, of which in this case there can be no doubt.” 

Marstrand heard all in silence. His face, at length, glowed 
like a flame, and his heart swelled with indignation. He 
endeavored to repress his feelings, and to preserve his self- 
possession. “It is difficult for me, gentlemen,” said he, “to 
believe that what I hear is true; for it seems to me as if I 
have, from the beginning, fallen into a net which was con- 
trived for me, to which every one of you has lent a hand. 
I would have relied on your friendship, Olaf, to the end of 
time, but you look upon me as if you rejoiced in my distress.” 

“If you are in distress,” replied the Nordlander, “you have 
deserved it.” 

“ How have I deserved it ?” 

“You are a Dane, and are false ! Go where you came from, 
you fool, or seek your darling in the gamme of the Lapps.” 

“ Are you so heartless as to insult me ?” said the forsaken 
man. “ Oh ! you have quickly verified my saying, that there 
are better men among the persecuted and outcast, than you : 
are. What more do you require of me ?” continued he warmly, 
as he turned to Helgestad. “You want my property — you 
will reduce me to beggary ! The thought has often enough 
flashed upon me, but I have dismissed it, as too base and 
unworthy to be cherished for a moment. You devised youi 
plan when you first saw my royal patent, and you obtained a 


392 


AFE A J A. 


suitable coadjutor. Take then the booty if you can ; injustice 
and infamy can never bring a blessing.” 

“ Nuh 1” said Helgestad, entirely insensible to these re- 
proaches, “ you are as choleric as ever. I have advised you, 
as a son ; I have not concealed from you how a prudent man 
should act. You have not heeded my warnings, and you have 
no right to reproach me for your negligence and indiscretion. 
So it seems to me. I have nothing to fear from a judge, or 
from the opinion of all good people. Go, and carry your case 
before them. They will laugh at you, and drive you from their 
doors ) I advise you beforehand. They will only be vexed that 
Niels Helgestad struck the blow, and not themselves. I show 
you things as they are, and I yet offer you a hand for your 
benefit,” he continued, as he observed Marstrand standing 
speechless before him, with downcast countenance. u I will 
buy the Gaard from you with all its appurtenances. I will pay 
you twenty thousand species cash, deducting the sixteen thou- 
sand, and taking in compensation the property as it stands, and 
discharging all the debts with which it is charged. You can 
have the four thousand at any moment, to employ as you see 
fit. You may again resume your merry life in Copenhagen ; 
the experience you have here gained will seem like a dream, 
and will furnish an interesting topic for narration over the 
glass, with your bedizzened companions. You can make fun 
of the old sharper of Lyngenfiord, or profit by what you have 
here learned.” 

“ I will never return to Copenhagen !” said Marstrand. 

u Nuh !” said Helgestad, “you are a considerate man. Here 
is Paul Petersen, who will put our compact in legal form, be- 
fore an hour has passed ; and it will depend upon you, whether 
we shall, henceforward, live together in peace and friendship. 
You have begun the work in the Balself woods, and you may 
continue it ; for which you are admirably capacitated by your 
ingenuity and intelligence. It will yet cost many a thousand 
species j but I have a chest, which cannot soon be exhausted. 


AFRAJA. 


393 


You can do as you please. You must see that your means were 
inadequate for such a work.” 

“ I see, too late,” replied Marstrand, “ how you have led me 
on, step by step, to this point.” 

Helgestad smiled. “ It is a lesson which will serve you for 
your whole life. Years hence you will thank me for it ; but you 
may remain here, and supervise the property ; I will not hag- 
gle about profit and compensation.” 

The shamelessness with which Helgestad spoke of his own base 
purposes, and his proposition to allow him to remain as super- 
visor, drove Marstrand’s blood to his brain.- But, at the mo- 
ment he was about to give vent to his indignation, he reflected 
how fruitless it would be. The old speculator stood before him, 
with outstretched hand, but with a face of iron, in which no- 
thing could change a feature. 

“ I cannot give you an answer on the spot,” said Marstrand, 
with an effort. “ Taken by surprise, as I have been, I require 
time for deliberation.” 

“Null !” responded Helgestad, “you have a right to it, and 
sufficient time until morning. We must not hurry, in good 
things. We will both consider of the matter. I will not be 
bound by my proposition.” 

“ If I were in your place,” said the secretary to Marstrand, 
“I would gladly embrace it.” 

“ If you were in my place, Herr Petersen,” answered the 
young man proudly, “you would not submit to injustice. I will, 
however, remain master in my property, at least until to-mor- 
row ; and until then I beg of you to be my guests, and accept 
of what I have to offer you. Between to-day and to-morrow 
lies a night, and there is many a slip from the cup to the lip.” 

He heeded not the laugh of the secretary, and Helgestad's 
grumble. 

“Null!” exclaimed the old trader, “we must be patient; 
do as you think fit, Herr. Much has been accomplished in a 
single night; but do not suppose that Niels Helgestad will 


394 


AFRA.JA. 


change by morning. To-morrow, as to-day, I will sit at your 
table.” 

“ I certainly hope so,” said Marstrand. u The Balselfgaard 
is a more secure place than a vessel, from which one, by night, 
may fall overboard into the sea.” 

A look, full of hate and unutterable menace, was Hel- 
gestad’s answer. With his companions, he followed the 
Gaard proprietor, and occasionally Paul Petersen’s croaking 
voice and loud laughter might be heard behind them. On 
reaching the house, he ordered a servant to man a boat, and 
catch some fish; and he held a consultation with the maids in 
the kitchen, as to the contents of his larder. It was evident 
there was but little left, and the lateness of the hour rendered 
it impossible to procure a satisfactory repast for his guests. 

Nothing was left to Marstrand, but to make the best apology 
he could under the circumstances, which was received with 
jesting and laughter. A few fish were at length obtained; 
but they were small, and of the commonest kind, and only 
added to the disappointment of his friends. By way of conso- 
lation, Helgestad, after consuming his share of the meat, and 
lighting his pipe, gave a sketch of the improvements which he 
intended to introduce at the Gaard. First of all, one of his 
yachts was to be despatched to the Balsfiord, with a full cargo 
of provisions and stores : Wingeborg, the Quane, was to be left 
behind, to provide brooding-places for the birds; and people 
were to be brought from Orenaes, to build huts for them- 
selves, and to establish a fishery, for which he had already se- 
lected locations : Olaf was called upon to give his opinion, and 
invited to hunt in the Balself valley : an estimate was made of 
expenses ; and the property was spoken of by Helgestad, as if 
it were in his undisputed possession. 

Marstrand listened in gloomy silence. He made no reply to 
the sneering observations of the secretary; for his thoughts 
were engrossed with an eager desire to extricate himself from 
the hands of his betrayer. In the dim obscurity of the room, 


AFRA J A. 


395 


his eyes burned with an unwonted intensity of expression, and 
lowered fiercely, from time to time, upon Helgestad’ s counte- 
nance. The hypocritical old sinner appeared to him to be one 
of the meanest and worst of men. In the pursuit of money, he 
trampled on honor and conscience ; and spared no means, how- 
ever base, to attain his ends. His long, bony fingers, which 
■jvere drawn together on the table, like the claws of a wild-cat, 
would have strangled his son and daughter, had they opposed 
his will ; and his remorseless face would not have changed a 
single feature, if, from desperation and shame, Marstrand had 
seized his gun, and blown his brains out on the spot. 

The deceived young man was well convinced of- all this, and 
that he had no chance of changing the mind of his oppressor. 
Ilelgestad was right in declaring that all the speculating fish- 
traders would laugh at and jeer him if he should make public his 
complaints. He knew no one of whom he could expect any- 
thing better ; and in his more sober moments he reflected that 
Helgestad only followed the universal custom of the country, 
that he acted upon principles which he had often proclaimed 
aloud, and that the greatest fault was committed by himself in 
not giving heed to the various hints and admonitions which he 
had so frequently received. 

His anxiety, however, grew more intense to frustrate the 
designs of Helgestad ; and he felt as if he could even sell 
himself to the arch-fiend to be delivered from his difficulties. 
All his thoughts were now directed to one point, the finding of 
the only man who could assist him — Afraja ! 

The mysterious figure of the old sorcerer hovered before his 
eyes. When he looked at Helgestad he saw the head of the 
Lapp suspended over the table ; at Paul Petersen’s laugh the 
misshapen greybeard, crouching in the corner, totteringly raised 
himself up, and over Olaf ’s broad shoulders he extended his little 
withered arm. Marstrand could scarcely wait until his guests 
were ready to retire to the humble chamber prepared for them. 

“Null,” said Helgestad, “it is an old saying, ‘as one is 


396 


AREA JA. 


bedded, so be sleeps.’ You have given us hard beds, Herr; 
but our sleep, for that reason, shall be more sound and health- 
ful. I wish you such a night as the holy Olaf had. He went 
to sleep surrounded with enemies ; but when he awoke, they 
were all subdued.” 

“I believe,” responded Marstrand, “that such predictions 
are verified when it is God’s will.” 

“Nuh!” said the old man, “you are of a pious disposition, 
and you have a friend in Klaus, to whom many wonders have 
come to pass. I would advise you, however, not to dream, but 
to hold fast to Niels Helgestad’s hand.” 

“ Ask to-morrow what I will do,” replied the vexed young 
man, as he withdrew; “to-night I will be master in my 
house.” * 

A shout of laughter rang after him. “Let him for one 
night more dream of the money-bags which the Balsfiord 
was to yield,” said Paul Petersen; “to-morrow we will eject 
him, and then he may look out for a house wherever he 
chooses.” 

Marstrand threw himself in the chair where Helgestad had 
sat, and waited an hour without moving ; but this hour seemed 
an eternity. He constantly muttered to himself the words 
which Afraja had spoken to him: “Go to the hillock under 
which the wicked voigt lies whom Jubinal crushed; ascend the 
stone, and softly pronounce my name, as when Syda, the wind 
God, dances over the surface of the young grass. Wherever 
Afraja may be, he will hear you !” He had, originally, secretly 
made light of this solemn injunction of the sorcerer; but now, 
with all his heart, he wished Afraja might listen to his sum- 
mons, and lead him to some divinity who protected the 
oppressed in their darkest hour of need. His faith was weak 
and distracted by a thousand doubts, notwithstanding his 
proudly-spoken words to Helgestad. How could Afraja know 
that Helgestad was at Balsfiord ? And if he should appear, 
how could this old man immediately procure such a quantity 


APR A JA. 


39 4 

of money ? Probably be possessed it, and possibly it was bis 
wish, out of hatred to Helgestad, and good-will to the man 
who bad rendered him a service, to give it to him. Afraja’s 
silver must certainly be buried in the far wilderness; and 
before it could be dug out of the rock and swamp, all would be 
over. And what danger was connected with Afraja’s money 
gift ? No one durst know that a free man — a Christian — a 
person of pure blood, had borrowed of a Lapp. Marstrand 
himself, pressing as was his need, felt that now in particular, 
when the animosity against the Lapps was greater than ever, 
it would be impossible openly to acknowledge the aid of 
the sorcerer without being regarded as a plague-contaminated 
person. 

Engrossed in these reflections, he quietly slipped out of the 
house, and descended to the fiord to seek his last helper. It 
was deep night ; heavy leaden clouds hung over the Wasser- 
spalt, which lay dark and motionless in its rocky bed. No fish 
leaped, not a star was to be seen, no sound to be heard; and it 
required no little caution to be able to walk without a light on 
the pathless edge of the fiord, among the rocks and broken 
stones. Marstrand’s eyes were, however, excellent, and as 
much accustomed to darkness as his flexible body to great exer- 
tions. After an hour, he stood on the bucht, into which the 
rock-strewn bottom opened, in which Paul Petersen’s grand- 
father had met his fate; after climbing over the wall of rock 
which closed up the the entrance of the valley, he found him- 
self at the hillock of huge stones, composing the grave, of 
the cruel voigt. The tall firs which had grown upon it hung 
down with their dark branches to the earth, and with the bushes 
and briars canopied over this chamber of the dead. Their 
gnarled labyrinth made an impenetrable darkness ; and as Mar- 
strand, with beating heart, entered this mysterious enclosure, 
he heard the hollow sigh and moaning of the wind through the 
top of the trees. 

With firm steps, he wound his way through these obstacles, 

34 


398 


AFRAJA. 


gliding over the smooth moss, and climbing from stone to stone, 
until he at last attained the summit of this mass of rubbish, 
capped by a huge rock. Here, he breathed alone in the midst 
of the wildest solitude, separated from all living things; under 
him were the shattered remains of the dead, which would re- 
pose there to the last day, while his wandering spirit affrighted 
the fishermen of the fiord. 

A deep depression of spirits came over the young adventurer. 
“ It is not the dead that I fear,” said he, to himself, “ it is the 
living who drive me to madness. Who would wait for me here, 
in such a night ? But even a wise man, hanging over an abyss, 
grasps after his amulet, and pronounces a witch-spell. What 
avails the wisdom of the wise, when it cannot procure help ? 
Either God’s angel, or the devil’s comrade, will appear to me. 
Let us see, old sorcerer, what you can do.” 

“ Afraja ! I call you !” he said, in a slightly contemptuous 
tone, twice repeating the name. 

“ Here am I !” responded a voice from the other side of the 
valley, followed by a rush of stones from the mountain side. 
It seemed as if a figure arose from the earth, through a fissure 
in the granite rock. 

Courageous as Marstrand was, he could not resist the impres- 
sion of this overpowering, mysterious vision. A shudder came 
over him, his hair stood on end, his tongue cleaved to the roof 
of his mouth, and his eyes glared wildly. He thought of the 
ghost of the voigt. It seemed to him that lightning flashed 
through the trees, that the earth shook under him, and that a 
strange breathing issued from its depths. 

“ You called me,” resumed the voice. “ Are you afraid ?” 

“No,” answered Marstrand; “are you Afraja?” 

“I am,” said the Lapp. “Sit down by me, give me your 
hand.” 

Cold, slender fingers grasped Marstrand’ s right hand. He 
heard the hoarse laugh, which he knew, close by his ear ; he 
thought he perceived the bright little eyes of the sorcerer, 
glittering through the deep darkness. 


APR A J A. 


399 


“Tell me, what drives you to me?" spoke Afraja; “I was 
far off when you called. I came, because Jubinal willed it.” 

“ If you have such power, you will also know why I am 
here.” 

“ You say it,” was Afraja’ s answer after a long pause. “In 
this darkness I see into your heart, I know your thoughts, 
nothing is concealed from me. A wolf sleeps in your gamme, 
who digs his teeth in your flesh, and has driven you out in the 
night. When the day dawns to-morrow, he will tear you to 
pieces.” 

“ I am come, that he may not succeed,” replied Marstrand. 
“ I seek your help, Afraja. If it be true that you are willing 
to protect me, prove it now. Procure me money, that I may 
satisfy Helgestad. Upon my honor ! by all that is holy, I 
will give it back to you.” 

Afraja suffered some time to elapse, before he inquiringly 
answered — “ How much do you want?” 

“ A large sum !” exclaimed the younker; “but I know that 
you can give it, if you choose. Helgestad requires sixteen 
thousand species of me ; but I have a credit in my favor, for 
the fish which he sold on my account in Bergen.” 

“ Sixteen thousand !” muttered the old man. “It is a great 
deal of money. Sixteen thousand ! If I give it to you, what 
will you promise ?” 

“ You require a high interest, I believe. Eight per cent, is 
the customary rate ; yet ask what you please. As true as God 
helps me, I will pay it !” 

“I want no interest !” exclaimed Afraja, in a hoarse laugh. 
“ I am not a Lyngenfiord trader, an usurer, or a voigt.” 

“If you will take no interest,” asked Marstrand, “what will 
you have then ? mortgage-bond on the Gaard ?” 

“ Your bond is of no use to me, and I do not want youi 
Gaard. No one must know of my silver, and your word; but 
you must pledge it to me. Will you?’ 

“ What security is my word ?” 


400 


A FRA J A. 


“ But little, young man, but little ! Promise me that you 
will come, when I call you.” 

“ Whither ?” asked Marstrand. 

“ You will learn.” 

“ And then — what more do you ask ?” 

“ Nothing farther,” said Afraja, as he appeared to meditate 
for a minute. “ Give me your hand. Swear to me that you 
will come, when I send for you.” 

“ I swear it.” 

“In JubinaFs name!” murmured the Lapp. “Call upon 
him.” 

The Christian young man hesitated to call on the pagan 
divinity ; but he overcame his reluctance. “ Good,” said he, 
“ if you believe that you are thereby better secured — in JubinaFs 
name, then !” 

“ He will help you, young man. He is mighty, as you will 
learn.” 

“ But say now,” said Marstrand, in an urgent tone, “ how 
shall I obtain the money ? You know that I must pay it at 
break of day. Have you it here ?” 

“ No,” was the answer. 

“No ? Where then ? Speak, Afraja; where is it ?” 

The Lapp stirred not. The stars which broke through the 
clouds revealed the outlines of his bent form. Marstrand ex- 
tended his hand to him, and, in an anxious tone, said, “You 
cannot deceive me ; so come then, and show me the place where 
I shall find you.” 

“Listen to me, young man,” muttered the sorcerer; “listen 
and trust. Return to your house ; look neither to the right nor 
left; sleep quietly till morning; Jubinal will stand by you. 
When Helgestad requests his money, go with him to your 
writing-desk; yet do not open this before — mark it well — be- 
fore the insatiable man stands by you. Then say to him, 1 You 
shall have what you desire •/ grasp within, in JubinaFs name, 


A F It A J A . 401 

and you will find wliat you want. Now go, and think on your 
promise.” 

“How?” exclaimed Marstrand, in angry surprise; “must I 
believe this ? Is this your help ? — Do not trifle with me, old 
man; no juggling tricks. Where is the money? You have 
buried it in this mound ; but, wherever it may be, you shall 
not go until you confess the truth !” 

He grasped anew at the place where Afraja was sitting, but 
he seized only the hard stone. — “ Where are you ?” he shouted 
in desperation. “ Answer, deceiver, liar ! You mock me ! — 
Oh, fool that I was, to believe you !” 

“ Trust !” whispered a hollow voice, which appeared to issue 
from the tomb behind him. A gust of wind swept through 
the darkness of the firs ; a light glimmer, as a flash of light- 
ning, broke over the solitary hillock ; and above, upon the peak 
of the rocks, Marstrand thought he discerned^ tall and power- 
ful figure, enveloped in a great-coat, with a Danish hat on the 
head. 

An insupportable terror seized him. The night, the solitude, 
hell with its kobolds and demons, set his hair on end, and be- 
wildered his brain. He jumped down over the rocks and ruins, 
pursued by a loud shout of echoing laughter. 


CHAPTER XVII. 

It was an anxious, sad night for the abandoned man. When 
the morning dawned, he was sitting sleepless and motionless in 
a chair by the table, staring at the writing-desk in the corner 
He had returned without being observed ; but ten times at least 
in every hour had he jumped up, seized the key, and laid hia 
hand on the writing-desk ; and yet he had not opened it. He 
34 * 2 a 


402 


AFRAJA. 


did not believe in Afraja’ s witchcraft, yet he dared not despise 
it. The superstitious credulity by which even fearless men and 
heroes in danger were attacked, excited his imagination. 

His ruin or salvation depended upon the question whether 
the writing-desk contained the money or not ; and around this 
point revolved all his speculations and doubts. Now it seemed 
to him a perfect folly to entertain any hope whatever ; and then 
again he deemed it improbable that Afraja would so shamefully 
deceive him. 

11 What hinders me from opening the desk, and ascertaining 
if I am deceived ? Why should I wait for the sneering laugh 
of the miserable secretary? If the heavy, hard silver is in- 
deed there, it will not disappear ; if it is as empty as I think 
it is, nothing will certainly enter it before morning.” 

The more his judgment attempted to assert its rights, the 
stronger were his secret fears and hopes. The old man, with 
great knowledge of human nature, had fixed his conditions and 
injunctions; and at last the morning came without any attempt 
on the part of Marstrand to violate them. 

Exhausted by so much care and anxiety, he had fallen asleep, 
when Helgestad opened the door of the chamber and entered. 
The reflection of the red morning light shone upon the coun- 
tenance of the young man, with a peaceful and happy effect. 
His long light brown hair flowed over the shoulders of the 
arm-chair, as he reclined at full length ; he breathed quietly, 
and a smile of contentment overspread his features. 

u He is dreaming,” said Niels, u and I would not awake him. 
He looks different from when I first saw him. He was then 
full-bodied, rotund and soft-featured. In a short time he has 
grown lean, and his face has sharpened, and all for nothing !” 

He leaned over him, and drew back as the brow of the 
sleeper contracted, and his countenance assumed a sombre ex- 
pression. — u He observes that I am standing by him, he 
whispered, with his hard smile ; “ it will soon be worse with 
him, but I cannot yield. It is a long-prepared and studied 


A F II A J A . 


403 


work. It is not my business to catch a fish and then throw it 
into the sea.” — He turned to the door, at which Paul made his 
appearance, and pointed with his finger to Marstrand. 

“ Wake him up !” said the secretary; “it is time.” 

“ He has certainly had a hard night,” whispered Helgestad. 

“ And a harder day consequently awaits us,” exclaimed Paul 
Petersen aloud. “There comes the boat with the officers; 
I see Lovman Gulick at the helm. We have no time to lose, 
if we will finish by noon.” 

“ I will yet once more try kindness,” said Helgestad, shaking 
Marstrand by the arm. 

The latter opened his eyes, and stared wildly around. 

“You come from another world, Herr,” said Niels; “but 
you are yet here in Balselfgaard. Look around ; it is nothing 
else. There is the morning for which the living must provide, 
until they die. 

“You have had time enough for reflection,” he continued, as he 
received no answer; “many think they have time enough, but 
time comes and goes, even though we do nothing. You are a 
man, Herr Marstrand, that thinks understandingly of matters. 
You see clearly what must happen. Women cry and wring 
their hands; but men weep not, and avoid useless words. I 
repeat my proposition of yesterday. You may remain, if you 
choose, and help me ; you will not repent of it. If you decline 
it, go ; but you must not go with empty hands. There is the 
boat with the voigt’s officers, in which you can proceed to 
Tromsoe ; I will myself provide you with an opportunity of 
reaching Trondheim or Bergen. You have made a good busi- 
ness, you have acquired some experience, and I hope we sepa- 
rate as friends. Is it not so ?” 

He extended his hand, which, however, Marstrand did not 
take. He looked frowningly before him, and his lips were 
firmly set together with a contemptuous expression. 

“ Will you, or will you not ?” asked Helgestad. 

“The younker desires it not!” said Petersen. “There is 


404 


APllAJA. 


Lovman Gulick, with the two officers. The time for negotiating 
is past, Niels ; let the law take its course.” 

The Gericlitsvoigt came forward; a little, broad-shouldered 
man, in a long official coat, a laced hat, and with the coat of 
arms on his breast. Behind him were his two companions. 

“Look there, Herr Marstrand,” said Niels. “ Those are the 
officers of justice, who have come to perform their duty. They 
may attach all your property, and can even put you in arrest, 
if it does not cover your debt. I again offer you, for the last 
time, my proposition of compromise. Accept it, for you have 
no other means of escape.” 

“Do you think so?” replied Marstrand, rising up. “I will 
not dispute with you, Herr Helgestad, nor utter reproaches or 
complaints ; for I know I might as well attempt to move the 
woods of Balself. You say I have no alternative but that which 
you propose. We shall see. Have you my bond and the secu- 
rity-bond of Bergen at hand ? Let me see them.” 

Helgestad looked at him as upon a man who had suddenly 
lost his reason. 

“Nuh!” said he, “you want to see my evidence. Come 
here, Lovman Gulick. Here is the bond for six thousand spe- 
cies, received in cash ; and here is the other, of over two thou- 
sand, for wares and stores. The name is subscribed. I trust 
you will not deny it ?” 

“ Certainly not,” responded the younker. “ I acknowledge 
the debt, as well as the security granted me in Bergen ; but, as 
I have a credit with Fandrem, the half, at least, will be liqui- 
dated by the proceeds of my sale of fish ; and I cannot possibly, 
therefore, pay Niels Helgestad the whole sum.” 

“ A security must be covered when it is required,” added 
Paul Petersen. 

“By no means, Herr,” said the Lovman ; “ the security must 
only be covered when the bail sees no means of indemnifying 
himself. If Herr Marstrand cannot pay, and his hof is seized, 
the security falls into the general debt ; if he remain in pos* 


a r e a j a . 405 

session, it must first be shown if he cannot satisfy the claims 
against him.” 

“Nuh !” said Helgestad; “it is a dispute about the king’s 
beard (about trifles). We will not insist upon the reimburse- 
ment of the security-bond of Balself. I am well-disposed to 
you, and you shall not say that I am a hard man. I offer you, 
here, before the Gerichtsvoigtj once again, twenty thousand spe- 
cies. I will pay your debt in Bergen, and satisfy myself with 
the product of your fish-sale. That will make, in all, twelve 
thousand species, and I will pay you eight thousand in cash.” 

“ Accept it,” said Gulick, who spoke as a friend ; “ it is the 
best. A word is a word.” 

“ A word is a word ! You have heard it,” exclaimed Helge- 
stad. “ Take your pen, Paul Petersen, and write it down.” 

“Wait a moment!” interrupted Marstrand. “And, if I 
pay you the sum which I owe you, what further have you to 
ask?” 

“Nuh!” said Helgestad; “I prefer my moneyas I have 
given it. I have nothing to say to the contrary, if you can pay 
it.” 

“ You shall have, then, what you desire !” said Marstrand; and, 
with the key in his hand, he went up to the desk. His heart 
beat violently, and his limbs trembled. “ Help me, mighty 
Jubinal !” he ejaculated to himself, and his trouble instantly 
^changed to joy. 

As a dreamer who suddenly finds a great treasure, he beheld, 
in the deep chest, a row of tolerably large bags, standing close 
together. They were made of reindeer-leather, appeared to be 
quite new, and were bound round with thongs. On every bag 
the number one thousand was distinctly written. 

He hardly knew, at first, whether it was truth and reality, 
or a trick and a delusion. He was agitated by contending emo- 
tions of doubt and hope, joy and fear. He clutched the first 
bag with his hand, as if he feared he might lose it; he then 
took it out and threw it on the table, so that the silver rang 
again. When he heard this sound, his nerves shook; and 


406 


AFRAJA. 


when lie looked on Helgestad and the secretary, his heart 
swelled with unwonted delight ; for both these persons, struck 
with surprise, gazed at the treasure in speechless amazement. 

“ Take your money, Herr Helgestad,” said Marstrand, with 
as much composure as he could muster; “ here it is. Eight 
bags, each containing a thousand species, all counted. Lov- 
man Gulick, I call you to witness that I have satisfied the bond, 
and am discharged from every obligation.” 

“ A knife here !” cried Helgestad, tearing the cord. 

Marstrand cut through the knot, the bag opened, and the 
silver thalers lay there, as smooth and bright, as if they had 
just issued from the mint. 

Helgestad seized some of them, and let them fall. “It is all 
right,” said he; “it is silver, beyond a doubt.” 

“ They are made of reindeer skin,” added Petersen, as he 
examined the bags. “This is the best specimen of Lappish 
workmanship that I have ever seen. Princess Gula cannot 
sew more elegantly.” 

“ It is not my business to ask from whence you obtained it,” 
said the trader. “ Count them, and take the bond.” 

This operation was soon performed, and all was found to be 
correct. Helgestad touched thousand after thousand, and no 
one said a word more. Every one seemed to be occupied with 
his reflections, and these all concurred in the certainty of the 
fact which Petersen had maliciously suggested. 

The cold, morose countenances of the bystanders, from time 
to time, turned with redoubled mistrust to the young Gaard 
proprietor; when he had finished the count, he tore the bond 
to pieces; and approaching the kind-hearted Gerichtsvoigt , took 
him by the hand. 

“ I wish to express to you my thanks for your assistance,” 
said Marstrand ; “ and for all time to come I call you to wit- 
ness that I have extinguished the debt.” 

“ It is my duty, Herr Marstrand,” answered the official, “ to 
look after the right. The affair is concluded; Niels Helgestad 


apr a j a;. 407 

has declared he has no further demand against you ; and I can, 
consequently, return to Tromsoe.” 

“ But not before you have sat at my table,” rejoined Mar- 
strand. “ My housekeeping has not been very liberally con- 
ducted ; but I will take better care of it in future.” 

The men were hungry and tired, and the invitation to break- 
fast was not, therefore, to be despised* The Lovman said no- 
thing ; and Marstrand went out to see what he could hunt up. 
There was almost nothing in the. house on the preceding day, 
so he had but little expectation of anything eatable; but it 
would have been a shame not to have invited them to remain. 
He now had much money in his chest. He had paid six- 
teen bags; but he would joyfully have given one of them 
for a full larder. He anxiously unbolted the door of his pro- 
vision-room, to observe its empty shelves ; but if he was ever 
grateful to Afraja, he had increased reason to be so now. There 
lay a great leg of reindeer meat, carefully cooked, and packed 
up in fresh leaves ; also several of the little, savory cheeses, a 
bundle of moorhens, and three huge loaves of bread. 

The sorcerer had carried his beneficent foresight, in this in- 
stance, to a great extent; Marstrand eagerly ran to call the 
maids, delivered to them the mutton and cheese, to be warmed 
in the oven, ordered coffee to be prepared, milk to be procured, 
and the table to be set. 

While he was occupied in these active preparations, his 
guests, whose society he had not courted, were engaged in en- 
deavoring to discover some explanation of the strange solution 
of his difficulties. 

The two companions of the Lovman were enjoying them- 
selves in the sunshine, before the house; the other three, how- 
ever, remained sitting at the table in the stuga, discussing the 
subject in all its aspects. 

The costs of the judicial expedition from Tromsoe were not 
inconsiderable ; Helgestad had them to pay. 


408 


APRAJA. 


“ It may be,” be said ; “Ido not know ; but I would never 
have believed it.” 

“ You have been too quick,” answered Gulick, with a slight 
smile. 

The trader gave him a sudden side-look. “ Rashness has 
never been a fault of mine,” he murmured. “ I have always 
had my rights in view ; but as I saw no safety iu this enter- 
prise, I wished to get back mine own.” 

“You have got it,” said Gulick. 

“ But from what source has the blessing been derived ?” 
asked Paul Petersen. 

“ There was not certainly, yesterday, a hundred dollars in 
the whole house; and now there is a pretty number of full 
bags in the chest. Where did he get them from ? Who is the 
fool that lent them to him ? Who meddles in Niels Helge- 
stad’s affairs ? It was not a Norman, or a neighbor. A man 
of practical sense would not place so much money in the hands 
of a Danish adventurer, to be wasted upon his senseless pro- 
jects. There is no one in the vicinity who would lend it to 
him. I know of only one who can, and who may have done 
it out of malice and hatred ; one who contrives evil, but who, 
indeed, does not give without expecting some good service in 
return.” 

Gulick nodded assent, but he inquired who was meant. 

“Oh!” said the secretary, “you know as well as I. Who 
else can it be but Afraja? This Danish younker and the 
pastor Hornemann have for some time been in secret alliance 
with the old sorcerer, who must be burned as a terrifying ex- 
ample. There is treason in it, I am certain. The pastor, for 
years back, has made reports to the government in favor of the 
Lapps. He raises a great clamor about every little event; 
letters of complaint and menace against the voigts and soren- 
skrivers come from Copenhagen and Trondheim ; and only a few 
days since, a letter lias been received from General Muntc, 
filled with complaints of cruelty and injustice, with the assur- 


AFRA J A. 


409 


ance that the old blade will come in person, or send a commis- 
sioner to restore order.” 

Gulick seemed indifferent. “ The Herr may say what he 
will,” said he, “but the pastor is an agitator; and if it were 
true that the Dane had contracted a secret alliance with the 
Lapps to harass us, he should be expelled from the country.” 

“ Nuh !” said Helgestad ; “ signs enough have been given 
us. A Dane is never a Norman ; he is as fanciful on the sub- 
ject of rights and laws as the pastor himself.” 

“I cannot, however, yet bring myself to believe it,” said 
Gulick. “ A Lapp would suffer his hand to be cut off before 
he would draw a species from his pocket ; and a man of good 
blood would never debase himself by accepting it from him, 
even in his worst extremity.” 

“Money is money,” replied the trader; “silver does not 
smell of the source from which it springs. But Paul Petersen 
is right ; there must be treason brewing when the old scoundrel 
opens his money-pots. It is the duty of all of us to protect 
ourselves against ruin.” 

The maids now entered with coffee, dishes, and the table- 
cover, and immediately afterwards followed bread and meat, and 
finally Marstrand himself, with some glasses and bottles. 

“ Take heart, gentlemen,” he said ; “ it is not much that I 
have to offer you, and I know you are accustomed to better 
fare. Accept it, however, as a proof of my good will.” 

Helgestad was too good a judge of the juicy meat not to 
enjoy it. He took his knife and cut off two large slices, say- 
ing: “Such tender and lovely meat is a rarity, Herr Mar- 
strand. You have found means over-night to stock your chests 
and larder most abundantly.” 

“ For such guests,” said the Gaardherr , “ one must do the 
best he can.” 

“I hope,” said Helgestad, with a laugh, “it will not turn 
out as with the honey-combs mentioned in revelation. They 
tasted deliciously, but they were followed by the*stomach-ache.” 
35 


410 


AFR A J A. 


“I hope not, and here is a bottle of old Port, which is a 
sovereign antidote against all such complaints.” 

“ Meat and drink,” said Helgestad, “ are the gifts of God. 
1 take my glass, Herr Marstrand, and drink to your success in 
all good things.” 

The conversation now took a general turn, and the rich fare 
seemed to have produced a favorable influence upon the guests. 
Helgestad said that it would give him pleasure if the enter- 
prising settler should succeed in completing his work ; although 
he himself had lost all pleasure in it, yet he did not wish it 
said that he did not believe in its success. He sought to ex- 
cuse himself for his proceedings with the declaration “that 
every one should look after, and endeavor to save his property 
when he considered it in danger. But you know that from the 
first day when you entered this country I proffered you my 
assistance, and I hope to live to. see you do me justice.” 

There was no use in a fruitless dispute, and Marstrand, 
therefore, replied in a conciliatory manner; and as one word 
suggested another, a kind of treaty of peace was at last con- 
cluded, the articles of which were arranged to suit each person’s 
notions. 

“I hope, Herr Helgestad,” said Marstrand, “that I shall 
never forget my just indebtedness to you. You have had some 
cause to be dissatisfied with me, for the Gaard has been 
neglected. I have failed to accomplish all for want of strength 
and hands. But I hope soon, with God’s help, to set my wood 
business in order, and then the mansion and dependencies will 
be put in good condition. My property is large, and has many 
sources of wealth, and my means are sufficient to develop 
them.” 

“You have found a rich partner,” rejoined Helgestad. “Is 
it not so ?” 

‘ You may be right,” smiled Marstrand. 

“Null!” exclaimed the trader, turning to the secretary; 


AFR A J A. 


411 


u tliere is probably some business for you to arrange by a 
written contract.” 

“ It cannot be concealed with whom you, Herr Marstrand, 
have entered into partnership,” said Paul; “ and great surprise 
will be excited throughout the country when these facts shall 
be divulged. It would, indeed, be to your benefit if you would 
give some information on the subject; or is it a secret, Herr 
Marstrand, that must not be revealed V* 

“ I do not see the necessity of my being as communicative 
as you desire,” said Marstrand. “ The man who received me 
in my great need, and saved me from the shame of being cast 
out of my house, wishes, for the present at least, to remain 
unknown.” 

“Is he, however, a good Christian?” said the secretary, 
jestingly. 

“ Better than many who bear the name, and whose conduct 
belies their professions,” said Marstrand, rising up, for he felt 
the blood mounting to his head, and as at that moment also, a 
noise was heard from without, which attracted his attention. 

He was followed by all, for it was the voice of Egede, the 
Quane, that was heard. The uncouth fellow with his short- 
legged dogs, which had been searching around about the house, 
was relating something to the justice, officers, and workmen, amid 
a volley of curses and threats. 

The first word that Marstrand heard was Mortuno’s name. 

“ Look here,” said Egede ; “ he stood here. See how my 
dog tracked him step by step. Mortuno was here, so sure as I 
am the son of my father ! Here is the entire print of his 
kommager in the soft earth. This is a Lappish foot, and I know 
the rascal by his large heel.” 

“ Seek him ! Take him !” cried a couple of laughing 
voices. 

“ If I had him, the murderer !” replied Egede, doubling up 
his fists, “ he should never prowl around another house. But 


412 


AFRAJ A. 


there he is above there, where my dog stands and barks ; the 
devil himself will not take him now.” 

“Nuh !”* said Helgestad, “ what’s the uproar? Have Lapps 
been here ?” 

“ Yes, Herr,” said the Quane. “ Three reindeer stood in 
the bushes, eating leaves, and round here the grass is trodden 
down.” 

“ How long can it have been ?” asked Paul. 

“ Not eight hours,” replied Egede, “ for the grass has not 
sprung up again, and the tracks are fresh.” 

“ Were the animals loaded ?” continued the secretary. 

“ Heavily laden,” cried Egede, “otherwise their feet could 
not have made such a deep impression ; but, Herr, he who led 
them to and fro between this place and the house six times, 
was no other than the accursed scoundrel, Mortuno.” 

“ Pshaw ! Egede,” laughed Paul, “ you will not insinuate 
that Herr Marstrand receives nightly visits from the Lapps. 
They could bring him anything they pleased — fat reindeer 
hams, or bags full of silver.” 

Marstrand cast an angry look at the secretary. “ I despise 
your jest,” he said, “but put a guard on your tongue in my 
house.” 

“Why deny your friends and helpers?” exclaimed Paul. 
“ That is not becoming in an honorable gentleman. What is 
there to conceal ? Mortuno made you a visit, and three rein- 
deer brought the silver treasure; Niels Ilelgestad is paid; 
what you have promised in return, is your affair. Good morn- 
ing, Lovman Gulick — happy voyage ! Greet my uncle ; I will 
myself come to Tromsde. Bring the horses, and let us depart. 
Where Lapps make secret alliances, I will no more set foot — 
where a cut-throat like this Mortuno finds protection and 
friendship, no Norman can any more sit down to table. There 
comes Olaf !” he exclaimed, as he saw the Nordlander approach- 
ing from the shore of the fiord. “ Ho ! Olaf ! what a pity you 


AFRAJA. 


413 


were not here ! Mortuno was ; probably he wanted to see your 
new hat ; you have missed much, my dear fellow. I will tell 
you, on the way, a merry story of how debts are paid by pro- 
fessing Christian men.” 

“ It is difficult to believe,” said Helgestad; “and it grieves 
me to go away with an evil opinion of you. Mortuno has fallen 
under the ban of the law ; he made a murderous attack on 
Olaf, and is a wicked wight, whom every good man should 
arrest, wherever he can find him. But it really seems as if 
you had held intercourse with him and Afraja, whom everybody 
curses.” 

“I have no answer to make to such accusations,” said the 
young man. 

“ It is an affair from which you must exculpate yourself, and 
it is more serious than you suppose,” replied Niels. “The 
Lapps are brooding mischief in their mountains ; and a court- 
day will soon be holden, to gather evidence. No Norman, 
humble as he may be, will trust a man who holds intercourse 
with his worst enemies ; no one will believe him, nor even eat 
his bread. It may be, also, Herr Marstrand, that you may 
have to deal with judges and the law; give your word, there- 
fore, that you have seen as little of the heathen sorcerer, as of 
the scoundrel Mortuno.” 

“ I will speak before the judge and law, if necessary ; but I 
will not tolerate constraint. Many things in this world, Herr 
Helgestad, are regarded as right and honorable, which are knavish 
and dishonest ; I shudder when I observe the judges who are 
appointed to administer justice, in good and evil report, in this 
country.” 

“ Go then with those of whom you hope better things,” said 
Helgestad ; without speaking another word, he ca.used the horses 
to be brought, packed up his money and effects, and departed 
from the Gaard with Paul and his serving-men. 

The Lovman had also gone off in his boat, and Olaf was the 

35 * 


414 


AFRAJA. 


last, who went out of the house, after he had gathered together 
his hunting-tackle and gun. 

“ And will you also, Olaf, leave me, as a stranger,” asked 
Marstrand, as the former, in a sullen and proud manner, strode 
by him. 

Olaf halted, and set down his gun. “ Know,” said he, 
“that to-day, when all were asleep, I went out to hold 
counsel with myself. I would not be a witness of the manner 
in which you were treated. Were you an innocent sufferer, I 
would have taken a stand for you, and would not have tolerated 
it ; I even would have thrown money away for you, as little as 
I sympathise with your follies. You are inexperienced, how- 
ever, and your credulity has been abused. ^But you are false, 
and have betrayed me.” 

“ How did I do it?” exclaimed Marstrand. “I let Mortuno 
run ) and I said nothing of him to you, because I did not wish 
to vex you.” 

“ I speak not of the scoundrel,” said Olaf. “ Can you look 
me in the eyes, without shame ?” 

“ There is nothing to prevent me.” 

u You are a Dane, and you know how to dissemble,” an- 
swered Olaf. “ No one on earth knew how I felt but you, to 
whom I told it. I complained to you of my trouble about Ilda ; 
and you — you, yourself, went to Lyngenfiord to play a dishonor- 
able game. You employed all kinds of artifices, you bemoaned 
about your love until she repelled you from her, as she ought 
to have done ; and I — I was working and providing for you, 
while you were protesting your vows of love. Do you deny it ? 
do you yet dare to say no ?” 

“ I do not deny it,” said Marstrand, “ for I loved her, and 
love her yet, Olaf, although I have ceased to hope. But I have 
not betrayed you. I know not how to conciliate you ; yet can 
you be angry that I love a woman, whom you love, and who has 
listened to neither of us ? Can you hate me that I found words, 
when my heart spoke, and when looks told me I was understood?” 


AFRAJA. 


415 


“You lie!” cried Olaf in a passion; “ Ilda never lifted 
tip her eyes on you. Yain as you are, you dreamed from mere 
fancy, and you betrayed me.” He lifted up his arm with a 
wild, murderous look. “ Do not come in my way, or you may 
rue it, and never speak of me, as of a friend — my hand shall 
be against you, wherever I meet you l” 

With these words, he proceeded to meet Helgestad, who 
awaited him on the heights of the ridge that encompassed the 
fiord. The latter then mounted his gray horse, and looked 
down upon the valley beneath. His countenance was full of 
hate, and as he surveyed the woods and the elf, he broke out into a 
fierce laugh ; “ My efforts ought not to have been in vain,” he 
muttered, “ I must yet have the Balsfiord. What will the fool 
do with it ? I will sing another song with him, and it will be 
one which will suit him better.” 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

Tiie caravan reached the Lyngenfiord by evening. Helges- 
tad had had an understanding with his stepson and Olaf, to 
pass over in silence these events, as not suitable for female ears. 
It was also suggested that the Danish younker was much too 
sweet a little heart not to have left behind him a sympathising 
remembrance. 

“ You know well, how maidens are,” said he, “ they love a 
smooth face and a lisping speech ; he who can the most politely 
address them, is the surest to win. You must admit that the^ 
Dane understands such like things better than I or you, Olaf, 
as well as Paul himself, refined and well-bred as he may 
be.” 

The secretary merely smiled, and said; “The end praises 


416 


AFRAJA. 


tlie master; practical success, the man. I shall trouble myself 
but little about the sighing and lisping of the Danish younker. 
In a few weeks my marriage takes place, and my house in 
Tromsoe is in order; but he shall be driven from the land, and 
if he falls into my hands, as I hope he will, he will have no 
reason to complain of a want of politeness on my part.” 

“ Have you prepared a plan ?” asked Niels, as they rode to- 
gether, Olaf being some distance ahead. 

“ More than one,” answered Paul, “ and” — he continued with 
an expressive look — “ it is precisely the same as your own.” 

“So,” said Helgestad, with a grumble, “do you also know 
my thoughts ?” 

“Exactly,” said his companion. “Hold on to the security. 
It will be useful to us. I think it will not be long before we 
have brought the younker, whom we both love so tenderly, to 
a place where no sorcerer can help him.” 

“ Will you do him bodily injury ?” 

“By no means,” said the secretary, laughing; “I will defend 
his body and immortal soul from all harm. He shall, moreover, 
remain near his friends, from whom I do not wish to separate 
him.” 

“Nuh!” murmured Helgestad, “look well to it; you are 
upon a road the end of which is not very clear to me.” 

“The end must be as we fashion it,” said Paul. “I have 
already made an agreement with my uncle in advance. We 
must take the birds as they are fledged. Let the Lapps carry 
out their intentions; disturb them not; do not threaten them 
more, but be as friendly as you can. In three weeks, the great 
market begins ; when they descend from their rocks and deserts 
to buy winter provisions. On that occasion, we can seek out 
the rams which we desire to get possession of.” 

“You will not take Afraja so easily,” responded Niels. 

“ No,” said the secretary, “ we must fetch the cunning old 
rascal. We have no soldiers, but we do not want in strong 
arms and legs. I have already quietly spoken with a number 


AFRAJA. 417 

of resolute men, who are ready to assist us, and we can reckon 
on several more.” 

Helgestad, with an approving smile, replied, “ Look well to 
what you do.” 

“ Certainly)” said Paul ) “ I have my own spies among the 
Lapps. I know a fellow who will give me accurate information 
of the hiding-place of the wolf) and I hope soon to make him 
a proper visit. A hunting-party !” he exclaimed, laughing, 
“ with Bjornarne and Olaf, upon the Kilpis. There he lies 
concealed. We will track him to his gamme, and I hope to man- 
age it so that he will not escape.” 

Niels nodded approvingly. a And then the younker,” he 
said ) “you will have them both at one haul.” 

“ The fire which burns the sorcerer, will at least,” said Paul, 
“ singe his skin and hair.” 

Helgestad grew serious at these words. “ Do not drive mat- 
ters too far. A Lapp is a creature which may be whipped to 
death, or be thrown into the fiord with a stone around his neck, 
without creating much sympathy for his fate. The younker, 
however, has a voice which reaches far over the water. He 
may be driven out of the land by the jeers of his equals; but 
friends will arise to shield him from harm.” 

“ Have no fears,” said the secretary ) “ where are they who 
could help him ? Who assisted the fool who boarded your ship 
around the rocks of Silden ? — and yet he was a younker.” 

“ Hush !” said Helgestad, morosely. “ I preserved my life 
and property from a robber.” 

“ It is a question if that will be believed if an accuser pro- 
ceeds against you. I would not like to be in your position if 
they bring you before the criminal court at Copenhagen. You 
are, however, four hundred miles distant) and no accusation 
could be made here, but by this Marstrand or Hannah. You 
have the maiden safe enough ) and we must, on that account, 
deprive him of the power of working mischief.” 

“ What will you do with him ?” asked Helgestad. 

2 B 


418 


AFRAJA. 


“ With him ? What is done with a traitor?” 

“ Nuh !” exclaimed the trader, in astonishment. 

“ This is the way,” softly continued the secretary, “ to se- 
curely place the Balsfiord in your hands, and to free us from 
all apprehension. The impudent younker must be condemned 
as an arch traitor, and then we will send him to Trondheim in 
chains, with all the proceedings pertaining to the case, or not, 
as we please. You must come forward with your security-claim. 
No one will come to dispute the property and rights of Paul 
Petersen’s father-in-law. Say nothing of it. The matter is 
well considered, and I will bet my neck that you have cal- 
culated in a like manner.” 

“ You have an eye,” replied Helgestad, amid the laughter 
of his companion, “ which penetrates the inmost secrets of the 
heart. I have thought of it, and must say that we are of the 
same way of thinking. Seize the accursed sorcerer, and force a 
confession from him which we can make use of.” 

“ I verily believe,” said Paul, “ my uncle has already, for 
this purpose, set up the old thumb-screw again, and has had it 
repainted and repaired.” 

“He does well,” continued Niels; “and Afraja will open 
his mouth and become communicative touching his silver trea- 
sure in the wilderness. You have to-day seen a specimen of 
the riches of the old villain.” 

Paul Petersen’s eyes sparkled with mirth as he said, “ It is 
curious how closely we agree in our views and thoughts.” 

Helgestad offered his hand, which the secretary grasped in 
return. They said nothing more, but regarded each other with 
a friendly expression, and yet there was no love or truth between 
them in the depths of their hearts. 

They were joyfully received at the Gaard, and Hannah 
brought a letter, which had just arrived from Tromsoe. It was 
from her father; after repeated coquettish denials, she per- 
mitted it to be read. The Guildmeister had heard, with genuine 
pleasure, that not only the air of Lyngenfiord was beneficial to 


AFR A J A. 


419 


her, hut that she had also become deeply attached to her be- 
loved Bjornarne. “I always expected this,” the letter ran; 
“and I now learn from your confession, as well as from Hel- 
gestad and other sources, that your affection for the rare trea- 
sure is extraordinarily great. I may come to the wedding, 
Hannah, if my legs are better; but I can scarcely, any more, 
get up and down the Signal-becken ; and I shall be obliged to 
procure a carryall, which brings all kinds of expenses. But I 
should be as glad as a king to see you here, and if it gets too 
late in the autumn for you to return, to keep you and my hand- 
some son-in-law at home with me here the winter through. 
Embrace him for me : your brother Christi can, probably, go 
to the wedding ; but, at all events, he will come to the celebra- 
tion of it in Bergen ; and Helgestad also must spare no pains 
to be present at the festivity. You have money enough, Han- 
nah; you are Uve Fandrem’s daughter; and there is so much 
lying in my chests for you, that Bjornarne will be envied by 
everybody. I will load his yacht full with the best that I 
have — chests, and boxes, and costly furniture ; you, yourself, 
however, are the choicest of all my possessions ; and I know 
that Bjornarne loves you as the most precious blessing on 
earth.” 

At these fatherly remarks, Helgestad raised his eyes, and be- 
held his son entering the room, who had also heard the reading 
of the concluding words. Hannah went up to him, and drew 
him nearer. 

“I can confirm what my father writes,” said she. “Bjor- 
narne loves me as much as I do him.” 

“Bight! maiden !” exclaimed Helgestad; “it is a woman’s 
duty to shield man, and hold him to her heart. It is scarcely 
three weeks yet to the great market ; and in one week after 
that, your marriage will take place. Then, in God’s name, you 
may go down to Bergen, and pass the winter, if you choose, in 
the house on the German bridge. It will do the fellow good to 
live among the fine people, and he can deck himself out like a 


420 


AFR A JA. 


swallow on its flight to the south ; before the summer comes, 
when he hears, at night, the cry of the sailors from the Lofod- 
den, he will long to return to his Norwegian home.” 

The time whiled away in such conversation. Bjornarne was 
as quiet as ever, and soon sought to escape the approaches of 
his bride : he went out with Paul to show him the various pre- 
parations made for the Lappish market. Helgestad spoke of 
Marstrand in general terms, and that he had found him well ; 
and he appealed to Olaf as a witness of his wonderful activity, 
which promised to be so productive. 

The Nordlander could not deny this; but he had not much 
skill in the art of dissembling. His answers were short and 
blunt, and his whole demeanor evidenced that there was some- 
thing wrong with him. 

An understanding between Paul and Bjornarne ensued, as 
soon as they found themselves alone in the warehouse. Bjor- 
narne passionately seized his friend’s arm, and with a bitter, 
desperate expression of countenance, said, “I cannot bear it 
any longer ; happen what may, I cannot endure it. Help me, 
Paul, for you are the only one to whom I can appeal for aid. 
Two days had not elapsed, after your departure, before I dis- 
covered how miserable I was. She was by my side from morn- 
ing till night ; and as she recognised the anxious state of my 
mind, she never ceased to speak, as if in mockery, of our fu- 
ture life.” 

“You should have rewarded her tenderness,” replied the 
secretary. “ Why did you not follow my advice ?” 

“Because it was impossible for me!” exclaimed Bjornarne. 
“There is something about her, I know not what, that im 
pels me to shrink back with aversion, when she lays her hand 
upon me.” 

“ And yet it is a fine, delicate hand, you fool,” said Paul, 
laughing. “ Far and near, you could not find a lovelier one.” 

“Believe me,” said Bjornarne, “she knows my thoughts; 
for she is too sagacious, not to see the state of things. But the 


A FR A J A. 


421 


gloomier my face is, the more friendly she grows, the softer is 
her voice, and her mouth overflows with jests and smiles.” 

“ She will oblige you to be as happy as herself.” * 

“No,” muttered Bjornarne, “she hates me; but she lies. 
She cannot love me. How can a woman love, when she knows 
that she is despised ? And she was dragged into it; my father 
and her’s compelled her to it. She cannot escape, and she 
has resigned herself to her fate, like a wolf, with a halter 
about his neck. Her eyes, as they gazed upon me, were like 
those of a witch, who would suck out my blood. Yesterday she 
held me firmly by the hand, as I could no longer bear to be 
near her. ‘ You are impatient/ said she, 1 and so am I. Be 
contented, my dear friend ; for what can we do, if it does not 
suit the wills of others ? Children must be obedient ; and it is 
also written, that they must bear their parents’ sins. We must 
endure it : you are Helgestad’s son, and I am Fandrem’s 
daughter. As angry as you may be, you must take me upon 
your shoulders ; it may be that you have more courage than I 
have given you credit for.’ ” 

“That was spoken plainly enough,” said Paul, laughing. 
“ That means, begone, and say openly, I will not have you.” 

Bjornarne remained silent, and his head dropped on his 
shoulders. “ I cannot,” he muttered, “ oppose my father.” 

“ You are too good a son,” answered Paul, “ to do behind 
his back what would offend his eyes. I will help you as well 
as I can to restore the fresh color to your grief-sunken face ; as 
a beginning, know that I have made every arrangement to de- 
liver the princess Gula to your arms.” 

The eyes of the young Helgestad flashed with delight at this an- 
nouncement ; but his confidant, laying his hand on his shoulder, 
said, in an admonitory tone, “ Not a word, nor a syllable of this, 
or all will fail. Leave all to my care ; I will take all upon my- 
self. Olaf and I now know where the maiden is hidden, and 
Egede shall help us to seek her. I have spoken with your 
father of a hunting party to the Kilpis to seek Afraja. The 
86 


422 


AFR A J A. 


wild reindeer are fat now, and the hears also; Afraja is yet 
fatter, that is, in treasure; for of flesh, he has not half an 
ounce. Wait two weeks more, when we break up. Upon the 
way I will tell you all. Speak with no one, but hold yourself 
in readiness. Agree with what your father may say, and trust 
your faithful Paul / 7 

When he was alone, Paul said, “ It must so be done. Un- 
less I help the clown, nothing will be accomplished. In the 
bitterness of his disgust, he dares not yet oppose the will of 
Helgestad. He will not jump into the fiord, nor run away; 
and, to crown his troubles, he will take the insolent maiden ; 
but that must not be. He shall have the miserable vermin, 
until at last 77 — here, in a subdued tone, he whispered to him- 
self — 11 until all falls into my hands . 77 

The Gaard was now full of bustle on account of the approach- 
ing market. The stock of goods was examined, and various 
expeditions made into the neighborhood, to consult with other 
traders on the prices, to barter, and probably to secure certain 
advantages in advance. Helgestad had bought a great quantity 
of flour and provisions in Bergen, which he now, in part, bar- 
tered at considerable profit for hemp and iron-wares, which he 
could use ; he returned well satisfied from the smaller trading- 
posts, which were tributary to him, because he supported them 
for the market, and fixed the per centage of profit. The goods 
were gradually selected, which were to be shipped to Lyngen ; 
the boats were laden, and the church-house of the trader filled 
with the articles which required the greatest care in handling, 
and to be protected against dampness. Another yacht was dis- 
patched with the more common articles. The weeks thus passed 
in constant labor. 

Meanwhile, the secretary had gone to, and returned 
from Tromsoe. Olaf had accompanied him; and as Hel- 
gestad and all the occupants of the Gaard believed, not 
to return again. Olaf had become perfectly pliant in his 
hands. His jealousy was the chief cause of the urgent 


AFRAJA. 


423 


request lie made to the Nordlander to travel with him. In 
Tromsoe, however, with much apparent heartiness he represented 
to him how sorry llda would be, if he should now leave Lyngen- 
fiord ; and that it was not courteous in him to go home before 
the wedding. 

“ I know, good Olaf,” said he, “ what wishes you have che- 
rished, and by God’s throne ! if I were not myself too deeply 
interested, it would give me pleasure to favor you ; but I cannot 
change matters now. You are aware that Helgestad knows what 
has occurred. It is possible that llda would choose differently; 
I cannot deny it; circumstances have so determined it; and 
we ought not to be any the less friends on this account.” 

Olaf gladly returned, for he had no longing for any other 
place in the world. Upon the journey, Paul employed all his 
powers of flattery to dissipate mistrust from his mind. 

They were fully agreed in one point, hatred of Marstrand ; 
and upon this he built his hopes of enlisting Olaf in his new 
undertaking. After diligently preparing him for its reception, 
he communicated to him his plans. — “I will tell you how I 
will take the arrogant youngster in his own noose, and punish 
him. You know how the Lapps act now, and that no man can 
leave his house in security; you, yourself, have become ac- 
quainted with their audaciousness.” 

“ The dog, Mortuno, shall not do it a second time !” ex- 
claimed Olaf, excited by the recollection of his adventure. 

“I think you will get hold of him,” continued Paul, “but 
you shall, moreover, take vengeance on his helpmate, Marstrand ; 
but for whom the miserable scoundrel would never again have 
offended you. Marstrand holds secret conference with Afraja 
under a roof, and all the atrocities which the old villain contrives, 
he is abetted in by the Dane. I have heard him say <that he 
would not be surprised to see the Lapps driven by desperation 
to vindicate their rights. This condition of things must have 
an end, he says, and protection be given to the oppressed.” 

“ Will he probably put himself at their head ?” asked Olaf. 


424 


AFRAJA. 


“ Bah !” answered the secretary ; “ he is not so foolish as 
that. But remember what I said to you, when I first saw him. 
He will take princess Gula ; go with her to Copenhagen — set 
heaven and earth in motion ; and I know what can be done 
there with money. Let Afraja load his yacht with silver, and 
you will see how the birds of prey will be procured to fall 
upon us.” 

Olaf looked at him with an incredulous countenance. Paul, 
however, in an earnest tone, said, “ Afraja possesses immense 
treasures; of this there can be no doubt. Part of his riches 
are in coined money, gathered by himself and his ancestors ; 
but the greater part consists in the silver-mines which lie in 
the desert, and of the situation of which he alone knows. 
What I tell you, I have from persons of unquestionable autho- 
rity ; Afraja’s own people also relate most wonderful tales upon 
this subject.” 

Olaf was Norman enough quickly to feel a rapacious desire 
for the silver, and his face glowed with an avaricious 
expression. 

“You see, my dear fellow,” said Paul, clapping him on the 
shoulder, “ that we must have the old fellow, if we wish to get 
possession of his secrets. The best mode to effect this, is to 
capture Gula, and then he will come and deliver himself to the 
knife. At the same time, we will destroy all the plans of the 
noble younker, and will finish with him. Therefore sits she 
above there in the Kilpisjaure. You must be our guide, and 
show us the valley, where Mortuno found you, and you will 
play off a capital joke.” 

The two young men soon agreed upon a plan, to which Olaf 
promised his assistance. Bold and eager of adventure, he was 
ready to hunt the old sorcerer, or to carry off Gula, and deliver 
her into the power of Helgestad. Paul gave him, in return, to 
understand that Afraja’s treasures would be fairly divided, 
and he imposed the strictest secrecy, warning him to beware 
of treachery. 


AFRAJA. 


425 


They returned to Lyngenfiord in the midst of all the hustle 
of the Guard, to the great satisfaction of Helgestad; for Olaf’s 
strong arm was of material assistance, and Paul’s skill in 
accounts was highly serviceable in the counting-room. 

“Now,” said he, when he was alone with Niels, and had 
made him a report upon his journey, “ you see all is right in 
Tromsoe. My uncle has given me up half his house, and it 
will not be long before he will surrender me the whole of it.” 

“ Do you also think of becoming his successor ?” 

The secretary laughed. “ He frequently feels himself that 
he is growing old. When I reside with him, with my young 
wife, I can again take all the business upon my own shoulders, 
as I have already done. It is known in Trondheim and in 
Copenhagen that I conduct the duties of the office ; and if I am 
rightly informed, the new organization to which, at the request 
of government, I have forwarded a plan, will not overlook 
me.” 

“ Nuh !” said Helgestad, “ I am gratified to know that 
you will be Amtmann. The hand of the laborer cannot be 
blamed for seeking its just compensation. You will take care 
of your uncle.” 

“As well as I can,” replied Paul. “You know that my 
uncle has enough to satisfy his love for toddy, punch, and 
gin.” 

Helgestad nodded, and as they both laughed, their cunning 
eyes met each other. 

“ And now,” continued Petersen, “ we can begin to-morrow 
or the following day, our hunting-party to the Kilpis. I have 
already prepared everything ; Afraja is cared for, and will fall 
into the snare — for what object do not trouble yourself now.” 

“ I shall be satisfied, if you take him ; and will be silent and 
wait.” 

The secretary passed his hand over his brow, and continued, 
with a smile, “ There is yet another business to be settled 
between us. According to custom, when a man marries, lie 
36 * 


426 


AFRAJA. 


must ask after the dowry. That Niels Helgestad has made 
provision for it, I do not doubt ; but nothing is yet fixed.” 

“ It is right,” answered Helgestad ; “ I should have done it; 
but look here.” He opened a chest, and showed him its silver 
contents. “ There are ten thousand specie thalers in it, which 
you will take home with you to Tromsoe ; and as long as I live, 
two thousand shall annually be given to you for household 
expenses ; and when it is G-od’s will to call me away, Ilda will 
have a rich portion of my inheritance.” 

“ 1 hope so,” said Paul. “ Have you made all your arrange- 
ments to that effect? — for the end of man is uncertain.” 

“ I have,” replied Helgestad, opening another compartment 
and taking out a writing. Paul looked at it. His father-in 
law pointed to many passages, and said : “ I hope you are 
satisfied.” 

“ I am satisfied, and only in one point I would make an 
objection. You have bequeathed various properties to Ilda, 
but not Loppen. Let the island pass to us.” 

Helgestad peevishly shook his head. “It is a hard- 
acquired property,” said he, “ and it must remain with the 
inheritor of my name.” 

“But if I request it of you, father-in-law,” said Paul, 
smiling. “It is a rude rock; the birds are diminishing in 
number, and it is worth almost nothing. Take something else 
back, and give me the rock ; remember you would never have 
obtained it but through my instrumentality.” 

Helgestad was out of humor. “ You seem to me,” said he, 
“like a Wal lying before a herring swarm. The more they 
run into his open jaws the wider he stretches them, and appears 
never to have enough. It is especially for your services in 
obtaining Loppen that I have given you Ilda ” 

“ And you mean by that, that I have been sufficiently com- 
pensated,” exclaimed Paul, in a jocular manner. “I think it 
is as great an honor for you to have me your son-in-law. Let 
us, however, be frank, and speak calmly. You are un- 


AFR A J A. 


427 


happy with your children, Niels, for you married her, indeed, 
agreeably to your own prudent calculations, but against the 
promptings of her heart. Bah !” he continued, as he saw 
Helgestad’s darkening face, “I do not blame you; you calcu- 
lated as a man of experience ; but what I have said is, never- 
theless, true. I know that, in many respects, I am not fitted 
to win the affections of Ilda. That is a fate which falls to the 
lot of many a husband. I must bear it; and I foresee my 
marriage state will not be particularly happy.” 

“ Do you mean that Ilda is forced upon you ?” asked the 
excited father-in-law. “ You can give up the marriage ; there 
is yet time.” 

“ You are in error, Helgestad,” replied Paul, smiling; “the 
time is past ; neither you nor I can recede. You have need of 
me, and I of you; Ilda and this marriage are the bond 
of our union. I don’t care a button if this Danish 
younker has found a lodgment in Ilda’s heart; I know she 
will, as my wife, fulfil her duties ; but do not imagine that you 
make her happy,” he continued with a sneer, “my dear papa.” 

Helgestad made no answer ; he bowed before the superiority 
of the secretary. 

“I do not think, however,” he smilingly resumed, “that you 
are spinning a better thread with Bjornarne; it may, on the 
contrary, strangle him. Bjornarne bears the strongest anti- 
pathy against the bride whom you have forced upon him, and 
he is not prudent enough to call his judgment alone in counsel. 
I foresee, father Niels, that your son is of different stuff from 
you or me. He has little brain, but much blood ; do not delude 
yourself, by way of consolation, with the idea that Hannah 
Fandrem could be thankful to you. She hates and daspises 
Bjornarne, as well as he does her; but she is more cunning 
than all of you ; she knows how to dissemble, and she takes 
pleasure in it.” 

“ You are a devil !” muttered Helgestad ; “ can you prove 
what you say ?” 


428 


AFRAJA. 


“ Prove? Reflect; the thing proves itself.” He tapped Hel- 
gestad on the breast, and jestingly said : “ You are so wise, you 
calculate to the bottom ; hut there is always something within 
there which deceives you. I will tell you how that happens. 
With your bloody hand you have torn all love from the 
maiden's heart; you have taken from her the solace of her 
life, and you would now too eagerly give her another, who is 
of your taste, that you might, as far as possible, appease your 
conscience, and acquire true love where you have sowed hate. 
Ask yourself frankly if that be possible. She hates and abomi- 
nates you, for it cannot be otherwise. I warn you again, not 
to deceive yourself.” He paused a moment, and then, in a low 
voice, said ; “ If you will give me Loppen, I will do what I can 
to assist you to ward off every source of unhappiness.” 

“ I will give nothing !” cried Helgestad, withdrawing his 
hand ; “ keep your wisdom for others. I think they know us 

both, but would '' he raised up his arm as if to pronounce 

an oath, and his eye glared wildly on the secretary. 

“ Hold !” said the latter, “ commit no folly ; we have not 
separated from each other. Consider, and let us stand peace- 
fully together, we may fear each other; or, if you choose, hate. 
Prudent people know how to be friends, and to preserve them- 
selves such. Keep Loppen : I say nothing more. To-morrow, 
we will begin our hunting-party; we will see what we can take. 
And now smooth your brow, and let me know how I can per- 
haps yet help and advise you in your account-books.” 

While this scene was enacting, on one side of the house, Ilda 
had a solitary conversation with Olaf, on the other. The maiden 
was sitting and sewing the marriage linen, as her suitor entered, 
and offering her his hand, sat down by her. 

“ Are you surprised,” said he, after the usual preliminaries 
of a conversation, “ that I returned with Paul Petersen ?” 

“ I am not surprised at it,” she replied ; “ but I am glad, for 
I could not believe you would leave us without taking adieu.' ’ 

Olaf, for some time, spoke not ; at length, he said, “If I 


AFRAJA. 


429 


could have left you, I would have done it long ago. Have you 
heard of the story which took place in the olden time, when 
Ilaken Jurl was ruler in Trondheim? He had a mistress 
of the name of Thora, whom he set aside for the sake of an- 
other woman. But Thora would not leave him. She sat de- 
jectedly on his threshold, from which the cruel Jurl drove 
her away, but she always returned. 1 1 only desire to see your 
face/ said she ; ‘ Grod's blessing upon you, if you grant me this 
favor.' When all forsook the fearful man, Thora concealed 
him ; when a hundred swords threatened her with death, if she 
did not reveal his hiding-place, and Olaf Trygeueson promised 
her as much gold as she could carry, she remained firm and 
chose death." 

“ My dear, true friend, Olaf," said Ilda, pressing his hand ; 
u Oh ! do not cease to be my friend." * 

“In every extremity," he replied. “I am a man, and I 
know what I ought to do. I envy not Paul Petersen his hap- 
piness ; I hope he will show himself worthy of it. But when- 
ever trouble threatens you, come from whence it may, let me 
stand by you, and lay your sorrow on me." 

Ilda promised it to him, and then turned the conversation 
upon Marstrand. “I am grieved to learn," said she, “that 
you separated from him in anger. What has he done, that 
caused you to leave his house in such a passion ?" 

The Nordlander, at first, could find no suitable answer. He 
fixed his eyes upon the floor, but lifting them up again, he said, 
with violent emotion. “The false Dane has betrayed me ! He 
has not only betrayed and mocked me, but he has done yet 
more to you. Let him beware of his tongue, for my knife 
might cut it out." 

“ And what terrible thing has his tongue said of me ?" 

“ He has calumniated you," he replied; “he has spoken of 
you with a vain and proud foolishness.” 

“ Did he ?" said she, letting her work fall in her lap, and 
folding her hands. “ What did he say of me ?" 


430 


APRAJA. 


“ That you loved him — him, no other, him alone ! ” said 
Olaf, in great anger, “ and that he will never cease to love you, 
never He paused and looked upon her. 

A strange smile animated her features. Her face was pale, 
hut she looked like one in ecstasy, and big round tears burst 
from her large eyes. 

Olaf, for a moment, was struck with this curious change. 
Something then arose in his mind, which set his blood in dis- 
order, and his heart in commotion. He jumped to his feet, and 
his lips trembled. He wished to ask a question, but he had 
not the power. He suddenly pushed the chair away from him 
and upset it, and then quickly rushed out of the door. 

The hunting party left the Gaard on the ensuing morning. 
Paul Petersen, Olaf, and Bjornarne, all well armed, Egede, the 
Quane, with his dogs, and two pack horses, with provisions for 
several days, composed the expedition. 


CHAPTER XIX. 

Marstrand had, in the meanwhile, to contend with many 
heavy difficulties, in his secluded settlement. He had money 
enough, but he wanted provisions, and these were not easily to 
be procured even with silver. He could not leave the Gaard 
himself, without exposing it to great disorder. He made every 
effort to supply his deficiencies from Tromsoe and other points, 
but he was daily more and more convinced that distrust and 
suspicion were spreading among his workmen and the people 
of his household. Hitherto, he had enjoyed a certain influence 
as the friend and confidant of the great trader of Lyngenfiord, 
the first in the country ; but he had openly separated from him 
in anger and hatred ; all kinds of rumors began to circulate, 


AFRAJA. 


431 


that the old sorcerer Afraja had lent him money for building, 
in return for which Marstrand had renounced Christianity, and 
had forsworn all honor and truth. The consequence was, that 
the greater part, who already liked not the Danish lord, de- 
nounced and ridiculed him as the purchased dependant of Afraja. 
All respect was lost. When Marstrand complained, he re- 
ceived impudent answers ; when he wished to urge, he met with 
opposition and rudeness; and after two weeks, things had arrived 
at such a pitch that most of them demanded their money, and 
left under bitter threats, saying they would not have anything 
further to do with a man who associated with Lapps. There 
remained scarcely any in whom the young proprietor could con- 
fide, and none but the refuse of the laborers, who could not get 
employment elsewhere. To add to his embarrassment, the set- 
tlers and traders on the neighboring fiords, likewise, turned 
their backs on him. At every attempt he met with opposition, 
instead of assistance. Those who were once friendly to him, 
now closed their doors against him, and no one bought of him 
or would sell to him. No laborer, notwithstanding the assurance 
of high wages, would enter his service ; everywhere he was sub- 
jected to humiliating treatment, and those to whom he had 
rendered the most favors, seemed to take an especial pleasure 
in insulting and vexing him. 

It was evident that he could not continue his labors, and 
what would become of him, and how could he support his 
seclusion, privations, and discomforts ? No friend would knock 
at his doors ; no human being would show him any sympathy, 
and his desolate house would be his only place of refuge. It 
was doubtful if, indeed, he could retain any of his workmen ; 
and in such a case, how should he be able to provide himself 
with food. 

When he looked forward to February, when half of Finn- 
mark repaired to the fishery, what comfort could he derive from 
the prospect ? It seemed impossible for him to take any part 
in it; for what did he possess of the necessary equipments, not 


432 


AFR A J A. 


to speak of provisions for the crews, for such an expedition ? 
Had he settled colonists in the valleys and along the sea-shore, 
and suffered the woods to remain standing until he could 
have engaged in speculation without risk, it would have gone 
differently with him. Helgestad would not have dared to lay 
hands on such a secure property; and had he done it, help 
could easily have been obtained. More than one of the rich 
traders would then have lent him money; but now, he was 
laughed at as a Danish fool for his reckless and senseless man- 
agement. He saw it all, but it was too late. 

It required the most unyielding courage and energy not to 
give up to despair in such circumstances. The only friend from 
whom Marstrand could expect any genuine sympathy and as- 
sistance, was Klaus Hornemann. But where was the old pas- 
tor ? Probably in the depths of the wilderness, at the north- 
ernmost cape, or on the Tana. And when, indeed, he should 
come to Helgestad’s house, to witness the performance of the 
double marriage, could he deny that he had taken money from 
Afraja? and could the pastor allay the universal animosity 
against him, and enable him to reestablish himself in public 
esteem and overcome his powerful enemies ? It was Marstrand’s 
firm resolution not to yield, or to suffer himself to be plundered 
and driven out of the country. He was sustained by the con- 
sciousness that his honor was unblemished, and that no taint 
rested upon his character. In all his speculations on the means 
of procuring assistance, he could discover none that promised 
success. Afraja’s money could not help him, and yet this old 
man was always the concluding point of his reflections ; all his 
minute inquiries reverted to him ; and when he lay awake, and 
the wind rattled the window-frames, he would joyfully spring 
up in hopes of seeing the sorcerer. 

One day, however, as he was walking up the valley of the 
Balself, and had gone beyond the waterfall, he suddenly heard 
a voice calling him from behind ; and through the dense woods 
he beheld Mortuno, bounding towards him with the agility of 


APR A J A. 


433 


a deer, liis gay cap with eagle plumes jauntily set upon his 
head. Mortuno was buoyant with delight as he approached him. 
“ Joy be with you, Herr!” said he. 

“ I have not seen you for a long while, Mortuno,” said Mar- 
strand. 

“ You see me now,” said the Lapp, “ because one sends me 
who wills it so.” 

“ Afraja !” 

“You say it,” continued Mortuno. “He has an important 
communication to make to you. For this reason, he prays you 
to come and listen to him. Will you follow me ?” 

Marstrand immediately promised it. 

Mortuno sat down upon a stone, and said, “I will wait for 
you here. Tell your house-people that you will be gone for two 
or three days. You will find two men at your door, who will 
buy vinegar and powder. Give them what you have ; they are 
Afraja’s serving-men. In the panniers of their animals, they 
bring you meat, as a present; your proud Gaard-people will 
not refuse a dish of reindeer’ s-meat.” 

Marstrand left him laughing in his merriest mood ; and upon 
his return, he found, indeed, two Lapps before his door, who 
desired powder, of which they bought a small cask of twenty- 
five pounds, as well as scissors, vinegar, linen, and hatchets. 
They gave cheese and meat in part exchange for these articles, 
and then departed. 

Two hours after, when the sun began to sink, Marstrand was 
ready for his journey. He recommended the management of 
his house to the maid-servant in whom he most confided, and 
gave orders to send to the Melangerfiord in quest of flour. He 
found the expectant Mortuno at the Elf, who immediately rose 
as he saw him coming, and, waiting for him to come up, began 
to climb the precipitous rocks. 

He did not halt until he reached the point where the fjeld 
began; and then he conducted the Danish lord, for several 
hours, eastwftrdly, through the still desert. It was curious to 
37 2 c 


434 


A F R A J A . 


behold how the red sunlight, and blue, gold-tinted clouds, lay 
around the gigantic summit of the Kilpis, and set off its weather 
beaten ravine and slopes. The wind blew sharp over the wide, 
unbroken expanse. In some places, the earth was richly car- 
peted with moss; in others, it was strewn with flowers and 
thickets; and occasionally an immense swamp appeared, in 
which Marstrand carefully sprang from one tuft of grass to ano- 
ther to keep his feet dry. Mortuno displayed much more agi- 
lity; never stumbling, and, while his companion soon heated 
himself and grew weary in the mud and stones, he ran with 
monkey-like ease down the steep banks of the brooks, which 
had here formed deep and narrow valleys, with equal light-foot- 
edness clambering up the opposite sides. 

The Kilpis gradually grew nearer; but it was yet distant 
as the night came on. The illimitable ranges of the Lap- 
pish mountains were seen rising one above another, to the 
farthest extremity of the horizon, veiled in cloud and shadow. 
Here and there rose a colossal mass of rock, not a peak, but, as 
is the nature of this country, a mighty mountain-block, huge 
and dark, with smooth walls, its summit terminating in a wide, 
extended fjeld, or a monstrous cone. Upon the other side, 
however, lay the red, dazzling surface of the sea, a glowing 
mass of fire, in which the sun’s disk sank ; and a wondrous 
array of islands, glittering strips of water, glaciers and remote 
ice-fields, involved together in labyrinthine confusion. 

After contemplating the magnificent spectacle for some 
minutes, Marstrand questioned his guide as to the terminating 
point of their journey. He was right in doing so ; for if these 
wastes could not, indeed, be traversed by daylight but with 
great caution, the difficulties of travel were much increased by 
the darkness. Towards the Kilpis lay a frightful swamp, 
and stony wilderness, intersected by deep sunken ravines, and 
broken by lakes of water, such as are frequently found at the 
foot of mountain masses, serving as the feeders for the brooks 
and streams, and as reservoirs of the melting snows. To wan- 


APR A J A. 


435 


der here by night, where a false step might be fatal to life, was 
fearful enough for a novice ; but Mortuno had good consolation 
at hand. 

“ This is, truly, not a land for your feet and eyes,” said he, 
laughing ; “ but be patient for a while, and we cannot fail to 
obtain help.” 

Thereupon, followed by Marstrand, he strode forwards as 
well as he could in the deepening darkness, which soon en- 
veloped all objects, remote and near. After about an hour, 
they descended into a deep ravine. Here grew birch thickets 
and gnarled brushes, through which it was almost impossible to 
penetrate ; Marstrand soon after heard the barking of dogs, and 
a peculiar grunting, which indicated the vicinity of a herd of 
reindeer. There must be, he said to himself, an encampment 
here, and herds at pasture, with men and tents ; but he could 
not recognise anything. When they stood by the water, which 
flowed in the ravine, Mortuno directed his companion to wait ; 
but only a few minutes elapsed, when he returned, leading a 
horned animal by the halter. 

“ I bring you here,” he said, u a riding animal, the best and 
strongest that is to be had, far and near. Mount him, and he 
will carry you safely.” 

Our adventurer promptly complied with the request of the 
guide. A soft cushion lay upon the back of the animal, and a 
little bell hung from his neck, whose soft tinkle was heard in 
the stillness of the night ; Mortuno gave him a gentle blow? 
calling to him with some guttural sounds. The animal bent his 
way through the bushes to the heights above ; the young Finn 
sprang forward ; and Marstrand thought that this was the same 
great reindeer upon which he had once seen Afraja in the Bal- 
self woods. 

Every preparation seemed to have been made for his recep- 
tion; and it secretly gratified him, that the old sorcerer had sent 
his own riding animal to meet him. Mortuno was very reserved 
upon the subject. Marstrand could extract but little informa- 


436 


AFRAJA. 


tion from him; and he would scarcely admit that Afraja’ s 
herds were at pasture in the ravine, with an encampment of his 
people. 

“ You will see where you are, when it is day. Afraja will 
then be with you, and will show you many reindeer.” 

“Are you carrying me, also, to his gamine?” asked Mar- 
strand. 

“ Afraja lives everywhere,” answered Mortuno. “ Wherever 
he goes, he finds what he wants.” 

“ Serving-people, tents, and riding-animals,” said his com- 
panion, smiling. “ But your reindeer are so strong, that I am 
surprised you do not hunt them all upon the fjeld.” 

“ You are in error,” said the Lapp. “ An animal is seldom 
found, which does not, in a short time, roll with his rider on 
the ground. This one is a rarity. He comes from the White 
Sea, where there is an island of the name of Kala, where the 
largest and stoutest are found. You must not believe,” he con- 
tinued, “ that the reindeer, gentle and patient as he appears, 
will submit to all the injustice which may be perpetrated upon 
him. They will carry burdens, draw sleds, and bear tent-posts 
and household utensils upon their backs with the utmost good- 
will ; but if they are overloaded, they fall into a passion, attack 
their master with the horns and feet, pursue him, and throw 
him down.” He burst into a loud laugh, and exclaimed, in a 
merry tone, “ The reindeer is wiser than we are, and he en- 
forces his rights ; God knows where we have had our eyes, that 
we have learned so little from him.” 

Marstrand made no comment on this remark ; but asked Mor- 
tuno, “Is it far from here to the place where your uncle ex- 
pects us ?” 

“ You are nearer to him than to the Balsfiord.” 

“ And Gula is with him ?” 

Mortuno was silent. After awhile, he began to sing a song, 
which did not sound bad. It appeared to have been originally 
composed in his mother-tongue; but he translated it, as ho 


A F It A J A . 


437 


sang, into Norwegian, in order that Marstrand might under- 
stand it. 

u Oh, sun,” it began, u when you shine in the heavens with 
your golden light, would that I could see the Urevand, the 
blue, wave-beating lake ; but I see the stars which beam in its 
clear water, and I know of one who looks down into it, and 
seeks to know where I am. 

“ If I could look down from the high top of the fir-tree, I 
would ascend it to see under what flowers my loved one is sleep- 
ing. I would tear up all the brambles, and all the branches ; 
the green branches would I cut away that opposed me. 

“I want wings, I want feet; wings of the swift bird, feet 
of the slender reindeer, to bring me to you; and alas! does 
she not see me ? does she not hear me ? I know not. But 
my eye sees her, however dark the night may be, and my ear 
hears her breathing. 

u I have waited for you so many, many days, so many good 
days ; I have waited to see your most beautiful eyes, and your 
lovely, soft smile ; but alas ! how pale is your face, how feeble 
your foot, which was once so light and delicate, as the foot of 
the young lynx. 

“ Oh I tell me, sweet one, what ails you ? Fly not from me, 
for whither you fly, I would hurry to overtake you. What can 
bind stronger than a rope of twisted sinews ; what holds firmer 
than a chain of iron ? Stronger, stronger, maiden, love binds 
my head and limbs, prevents me from thinking, makes me 
weak. 

“ The will of the wind, the will of the child, the thoughts 
of youth, are all idle thoughts. Were I to reason with them, 
they would lead me astray. But you alone shall decide. Do 
what you will ; close your eyes ; listen not to me ! However 
my heart may tremble, it will obey. 

“ Peace shall you have, love; peace and consolation ! Your 
cheeks shall again be red; your foot, joyous and light, shall 

37 * 


438 


AFRA JA. 


run over the nodding flowers ; and your heart shall heat as in 
happy days.” 

Mortuno here became silent, after his voice had sunk into a 
soft whisper. 

11 Did you compose the song ?” asked Marstrand. 

“ Yes, Herr.” 

11 It has not been long since you made it.” 

u It was yesterday.” 

The night waned away. The overhanging heaven was be- 
spangled with countless stars. The reindeer plashed through 
the water, which seemed to cover a large basin, and in which 
the glimmer of the stars was reflected back. 

u And is this the Urevand ?” asked Marstrand. 

“ So it is called by your people,” replied Mortuno ; u it is 
Jubinal’s holy lake.” — Suddenly a red light was seen in the 
distance, and the beast mounted with his rider out of the water 
on to the firm ground, which constantly rose higher and steeper. 
Dogs barked loudly, but Marstrand asked no more questions ; 
for he knew that he was in Afraja’s neighborhood. Some time 
afterwards, several men came to meet them with burning torches 
of wood, and exchanged a few words with Mortuno ; who, taking 
the halter of the reindeer, led it between huge masses of rock 
to a peaked tent. 

Marstrand was assisted to alight, and was politely conducted 
to the brown gamme. The floor was thickly strewn with birch- 
leaves; and in the middle was a fire-place, over which a double 
iron lamp, attached to a chain, was swinging in the air. On 
one side was a seat of birch-wood ; on the other, a soft bed of 
moss with linen sheets; and near by it lay a number of warm 
counterpanes and furs. 

“ Tarry here,” said Mortuno; “Afraja invites you to re- 
pose.” 

“ And where is he ?” asked the Dane. 

“ Who knows ? When the time comes, he will be with you 
You are tired; sleep in tranquillity; if you are hungry or 


APRAJA. 


439 


thirsty, you will hero find what we can give you.” He pointed 
to the hearth-stone, where there was bread and meat, with 
bottles and pitchers, and then left the tent, while he repeated 
his request to Marstrand patiently to wait for his uncle, and to 
accept his hospitality. 

It was deep in the night, and the long wearisome journey had 
not a little fatigued the traveller. He sat down upon the great 
stone, and tasted of the rich, fresh milk and meat, and then 
surrendered himself to his reflections, listening from time to 
time when he heard steps or a noise on the outside. But it 
was nothing but the hollow moan of the wind ; and as he opened 
the door and stepped out, he found nothing but darkness and 
deep silence. No object was visible, and he knew not also 
where he was. No gaard was to be seen, and no noise betrayed 
the vicinity of the living. Marstrand said laughingly to him- 
self, that he was better secured here than a man who, in the 
civilized world, is shut up behind bolts and bars. The prisoner 
who there succeeded in breaking his chains, knew where to flee 
to ; but here, nothing apparently prevented an escape, and yet 
not a step could be made without danger. Afraja had cunningly 
arranged to have his guest brought to him by night, and where 
was he now ? where was Gula ? Why did he leave him alone, 
and what did he want of him? A long series of questions 
connected themselves with these first ones ; but at length, when 
his patience was perceptibly exhausted, he threw himself upon 
his bed of moss, covered his head in the soft skin, and fell 
asleep. Sometimes he awoke again, looked timidly around, 
sought his old protector, and listened and fell back again into 
a profound sleep ; from which, when he awoke, the lamp had 
gone out, and the day was dimly dawning. 

His curiosity was great, when he opened the tent door, to 
observe the unknown world ; and yet he was surprised again to 
find himself alone. Nowhere was there a reindeer, or a gamme; 
nothing but the broken, frightfully desolate wilderness. He 
turned round, and raised up his head to the mountains. Behind 


440 


APRAJA. 


him lay the jagged, monstrous rocks of the Kilpis, his gigantic, 
black brow illuminated by the early beams of the morning. 
As he scrutinizingly looked around, he observed that the place 
where he was, was a mountain platform, at the foot of the 
mighty mass, from which it was separated by a deep ravine. 
Upon three sides, the little fjeld fell with almost perpendicular 
sides into a tolerably large lake, which expanded itself between 
scattered blocks, and tongues of rock ; upon the fourth side, it was 
connected with another mountain platform, to which the reindeer 
must have climbed in the night, after having waded through 
part of the lake. But where was it now ? where was Mortuno ? 
where was the brown herd ? And where, above all, was Afraja 
and his child ? 

Marstrand sprang upon a high block, and he observed, with 
astonishment, that the circle in which the tent stood, was quite 
regular in appearance. All these pieces of rock appeared to 
have been hewn square, and they were marked with curious 
lines and furrows, which could not be the result of accident. 
He had often before heard of the magic and sacrificial circles 
of the Lapps in the mountains, and he doubted not that this 
was a Saita, which was dedicated to some one of the many 
deities. At the same time he was surprised that Afraja had 
erected a tent, and lodged himself in such a place. The great, 
smooth stone upon which he had taken his repast, was certainly 
not a hearthstone, but a stone of sacrifice ; and there where he 
slept, and where he stood, cruel worship had probably but a 
short time before, been performed in honor of the pagan gods. 

All these conjectures led to nothing. The day had grown 
brighter, the distant bank of cloud had divided itself, and Mar- 
strand looked over a wide tract of land, without being able to 
make any new discovery. As, however, he went to the ravine, 
which lay between the projection and the high wall of the 
Kilpis, it seemed to him as if the stones were there arranged 
like steps, one above another, so that it would be possible to 
descend below. He hesitated not to make an attempt, which 


AFR A J A. 


441 


succeeded beyond expectation; upon arriving at tiie bottom 
he saw that this continued to a gap, which, as a deep, cavern- 
like gate, broke through the Kilpis and the adjoining moun- 
tain-mass. It was impossible to perceive anything of it from 
above ; but the ravine here arched over into a passage, and 
its depths were filled with a wonderful splendor, which Mar- 
strand was soon conscious was nothing else than the bright 
sunshine, that glimmered against him. He was convinced that a 
natural connecting road lead through the great mountain saddle, 
which rose up precipitously to the Kilpis, and it seemed to him 
that this must be the wall before which Olaf came to a stand 
on his exploring journey, as he just looked down into a great 
valley. He eagerly pushed on. A presentiment assured him 
that there Gula must dwell; there he would find Afraja; and 
yet he stood surprised and hesitating, for the scene before him, 
surpassed all expectation. 

He saw a valley lying before him, greener and lovelier than 
any which he had ever seen in that country. A milder, happier 
nature seemed to reign within it, and a warmer sun to pour 
upon it its light. Nowhere was any rocky surface, but the 
earth was universally fertile; great trees sprang up in all 
directions, which, although the birch and northern fir, yet 
they were not so dark and gloomy as those upon the fiords ; but 
they had the strong, green, and bushy appearance of those of 
the more southern latitudes. Through the middle of the valley, 
streamed a brook, whose banks were covered with overhanging 
bushes. Dense grass grew in abundance; moss flowers of 
various colors shot up from between, and wherever Marstrand 
gazed, he seemed to look upon a garden cultivated by a diligent 
and careful hand. He suddenly heard, as Olaf had also, the 
distant tinkling of bells ; but how his heart beat when he saw 
a maiden emerge from out of the thick foliage, behind which 
he drew back, and approach the brook ; it was no other than 
Gula herself. 

Marstrand’s inmost sympathies were aroused, and his heart 


442 


A F It A J A . 


trembled with joy. The delicate little figure was dressed in a 
light brown gown; her face was perceptibly consumed and 
sickly — her long black hair fell over her shoulders, and along- 
side of her walked a white tame reindeer, whose red collar 
grazed her hand. She looked down before her, and went to- 
wards the sun, which was just sending its first beams over the 
rocks; the beast suddenly stood still befbre the thicket of 
bushes, and as she slowly lifted up her head, she saw the 
stranger standing before her. 

u Gula !” exclaimed Marstrand, outstretching his arms, and 
her eyes lighted up, and her alarm changed into sudden delight ; 
her lips opened speechlessly. Tremblingly she ran towards 
him, and clung to him tightly, as if she did not believe that it 
was actually he. Her large eyes looked at him with an inex- 
pressible tenderness, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She 
spoke not — a painful tremor passed over her face and 
through her whole body — then the sweet certainty returned. 
The moment, with all its holiness, engrossed the poor child, 
and while Marstrand spoke to her, her head hung down upon 
her neck; her eyes- were fastened upon his mouth, as if she 
would never take them from him. 

“ My dear Gula,” said Marstrand, excited by this reception, 
u how long have I desired to see you ! Tell me how you are, 
and if you are sick ? But no — you smile, your eye is bright, 
and you live in peace V* 

“ Peace with you and me !” she replied. “I see you, and I 
feel not. But what is that ?” she continued as she regarded 
him. “ You have become pale, and your face denotes trouble. 
Oh ! my father told me they persecute you, because you are 
better than they. They have betrayed you; Helgestad has 
deceived you — all, all are against you.” 

u Do you know what has happened to me ?” he asked ; u how 
your father has assisted me ?” 

“ Did he !” she joyfully exclaimed. u God bless him for it ! 
No, Herr, I know nothing of it; it was only yesterday that he 


A F R A J A . 


443 


spoke of you. Ok ! now I perceive why he did it. He wished 
to prepare me for your coming — he related anecdotes of you, 
and he praised you; and here you are now, before I thought 
of it.” 

“ By his will,” replied John, musing and smiling. 

“ By his will ! Say, rather, by your will,” she said, inter- 
rupting him. “ Bid you not say that you had a longing to be 
here? Did you not ask how I, many days, prayed — how I, 
every day, looked up to the Kilpis, when the fiery vapor hung 
around him — and how consoling it was to me, when I thought, 
Now, indeed, he looks up here, and remembers his poor little 
Gula. N ame me so again — call me, that I may hear it. Oh ! 
oh ! you do not know what good your voice does me ! You do 
not know how much I have suffered in solitude,” she whis- 
pered, tremblingly. 

She hung on his arm — her smile, her look, was love — new 
hope, and that divine credulity which rejects all doubt. He 
kissed her lips — he pronounced her name, and called her his dear 
little Gula. What could he have said to her ? Who would 
hdve had the courage to repel such unreserved love ? 

“ You should not grieve,” said he. “ Have we not made an 
agreement to remain true to each other ?” 

She nodded to him, with glistening eyes. “ I am true to 
you,” she exclaimed. “ Tell me what I shall do — shall I live 
or die? But forsake me not — reject me not!” She placed 
her hand upon her brow as if she called something to her recol- 
lection, and continued, u My father is well disposed towards 
you ; he is mightily rich — richer than Helgestad. Ask of him 
what you will, and he will secure it to you.” 

‘ Where is your father?” 

u Here !” answered a voice from the hollow of the rock, and 
there stood Afraja, leaning upon his tall staff, his sharp-pointed 
cap upon his large, ugly head, looking sharply at him with his 
cunning eyes. 

“ You are welcome to my land,” said he ; “and I thank you 


for coming / f lie extended his right hand to his guest, laugh- 
ing after his manner. “ You discovered the way, which is difficult 
to find ; but I was certain it would not long remain concealed 
from you. Now you are here in Jubinafs paradise ; I hope it 
may please you.” 

“ Did Jubinal once dwell here ?” asked Marstrand. 

“ He dwells here yet,” replied Afraja, earnestly. “ He suf- 
fers the flowers to bloom, and stretches his protecting hand over 
all that lives in this valley. When the Kilpis lies buried in ice 
and snow, and all the springs are frozen, the brook flows on, as 
it does now, and my herds find as much food as they need.” 

Marstrand could have made many objections; for he knew 
of a certainty that this secluded valley must, as well as all the 
other valleys, be covered with snow ; but it was surely a lovely, 
sheltered spot, and he heartily expressed his surprise, which 
the old chief seemed gratified to hear. 

“You speak truly,” said he; “but there is many another 
that would please you better.” His eyes lighted upon Gula; 
and, while he smoothed her hair with his hand, he whispered 
some words to her, and then continued, aloud, “We will go; 
I will show you my animals, while the maiden will take care to 
prepare for your proper reception.” 

Gula ran away, at a sign from her father, with a warm glance 
at her friend. The tame white reindeer bounded after her, and 
Afraja conducted his guest through the windings of the valley, 
climbing with him up a high wall of stones and broken rocks, 
by the side of which the rushing water forced its way in a deep, 
overgrown gorge. Marstrand now found himself upon the high, 
mossy plain, opposite to the Saita-stone, where he had passed 
the night. The tent had disappeared, having only been put 
up for him ; but at his feet, upon the edge of the woody ravin°, 
five other tents were erected, and before them extended an en- 
closure of birch-branches and hurdle-work, within which was a 
crowd of antlered milk-cows. 

For the first time, he was in the midst of the domestic moun 


AFRAJA. 


445 


tain life of a Lappish encampment. The great herd within the 
enclosure was more than a thousand head strong; and on that 
ta-v the autumn mustering was held. More than a dozen men 
and women appeared to be engaged in milking, while many 
others were driving the refractory animals to the milking- 
ground. Only a part of them voluntarily came forward to have 
their swollen udders emptied, most of them seeking to run off ; 
but no South American Indian could more surely throw his 
lasso than these shepherds their forty to fifty-feet long nooses, 
which never failed to fall upon the horns of the animals at 
which they were aimed. They were then led, without any fur- 
ther resistance, into the enclosure, where they were milked and 
set at liberty; or Mortuno, accompanied by two experienced 
aids, went around, and, selecting out the fattest and largest for 
sale at the next market, designated them by a mark on the skin. 
The young animals stood in a close heap ; the calves gambolled 
around their mothers, chasing each other, and bleating for joy, 
until recalled by the old ones, who impatiently waited until the 
herd was set at liberty. The bells of the guiding-beasts sounded 
melodiously, and the men and women sang at their labor. 
Laughter and rejoicing prevailed everywhere. The shepherds 
ran, with great vessels of milk, to the storehouse-gamme, 
and then again to a double-built tent, which seemed to be 
the family or dwelling-house, and from which, as the covering 
was thrown back, the bright glow of the fire was seen, 
beneath a column of smoke. All these tents or gammes 
were built simply ; for they consisted of nothing but eight or 
nine tolerably high posts, uniting in a point, and forming a 
circle beneath. A roof of coarse brown canvas overhung the 
whole structure, which was further secured by some strips of 
twisted leather and wooden pins, to render them better able 
to resist stormy gusts of wind. In some gammes, the tent- 
covers were oiled; all were in good condition, and near the 
largest were suspended articles of furniture, wooden bowls, and 
pieces of clothing. Marstrand looked upon this spectacle of the 
38 


446 


AFRAJA. 


shepherd and domestic life of the dwellers of the desert with a 
curious pleasure. 

The day was clear, the sky beautifully blue, and the . **n~ 
warming and golden in its light, in spite of the earliness of the 
morning and the movement of the wind. Afraja left him to 
his own reflections ; for he was soon called back, by Mortuno 
and the other men, to decide upon the choice of animals. 

“Thus passes human existence,” said Marstrand, after he had 
sat some time on the stone and looked around ; “ there in pa- 
laces, here in huts; with one on silk cushions, with another on 
the rude rock and snow ; and what seems, to the spoiled child 
of luxury, frightful misery, is happiness and enjoyment to the 
son of nature. But I can now comprehend,” he continued, as 
Afraja returned, “why the poor Bo and fish Lapps on the coast 
envy you so much. There is a great superiority in such a free 
shepherd life over the dreary life in a clay hut.” 

“Those below there,” replied Afraja, proudly, “are beg- 
gars, who support themselves by alms. I have selected a hun- 
dred beasts from this herd, which I will sell on the market-day, 
together with feathers, hides and horns. My other herds will 
not bring me in less; my pockets will be full of smooth 
thalers; and with that we can procure good food, of all kinds, 
every year. We wander up and down in our broad land, live 
where it seems good to us, suffer no want, and know no priva- 
tion. How multifarious are the vexations of the men who think 
themselves wiser and better ! How great are their wants ! And 
the further you look, the more will you find that I speak the 
truth. Men were happy as long as their wants were but few; 
the farther they advanced in cunning arts, the more avaricious 
and unscrupulous they became. We live, at the present day, 
as our ancestors long years ago. We seek not to divest others 
of their property ; but your people has oppressed us, and taken 
from us our own, and they give us no peace.” 

“ If what you say were true,” answered Marstrand, “ there 
would be none but shepherds and hunters on the earth. We 


AFRAJA. 


447 


would be as the animals of the wilderness. But man has re- 
ceived from God a disposition to strive after improvement — to 
learn, and to create, and to employ his understanding / 7 

“ Must he use it to do injustice ?” asked Afraja. 

“No,” replied the Dane. “Enlightenment will render us 
better, and make us more humane and just / 7 

“ Look what those have become, who think their God is the 
God of truth , 77 said the old man. “ But come, my herd is going 
to their morning pasture. You are thirsty; break bread with 
us, and thank the universal Father, to whom every creature 
belongs / 7 

While he was speaking, the thick throng of animals had be- 
gun to move. A dozen of the small, shaggy dogs, which had 
previously vigilantly surrounded the whole troop, and had 
driven back every reindeer fugitive, set up a loud yelping. 
The leading animals placed themselves at the head of their nu- 
merous families, and they all proceeded, first, to the lake below, 
to drink ; and then to the woody ravine, where there was rich 
pasturage. It was a gladsome march into free life. The rein- 
deer ran and leaped, in frolicsome delight; the dogs barked 
merrily; and the shepherds, with their long staffs, shouted on 
all sides. Those who remained behind, assembled in the great 
tent, where a kettle was suspended by a chain over the fire on 
the hearth-stone ; and an old woman, ugly as a witch, sat boil- 
ing the rich, fresh reindeer milk for breakfast. 

Women, children and men crouching in a circle, received 
their share, eat the flour cakes, as they came hot from the 
hearth, and looked with sly, peering glances upon the stranger, 
who wondered at their great appetite. 

Afraja took one of the wooden bowls, which the old woman 
filled with the drink, and handed it to his guest : “ You must 
accept what we have to offer ; no one, here, receives any better 
or worse . 77 

The bowl did not look very inviting, but the sweet milk had 
an excellent taste. An animating warmth came over him, and 


448 


AFRAJA. 


ho felt himself refreshed, which Afraja observed, with great 
gratification. 

“ I hope,” said he, “you will be yet better satisfied with our 
fare ; for even men like Helgestad do not disdain it.” 

This name reminded Marstrand of the peculiar motive of his 
visit. “ You sent for me,” said he ) “ and I fulfilled my pro- 
mise the more willingly, because I have need of your advice. 
You certainly know how it is with me — that my house is for- 
saken, my works are arrested, and that I really know of no 
means to extricate myself from the position in which I have 
been placed by the treachery of Helgestad.” 

“ 1 know,” replied Afraja, looking in the distance, as if he 
was considering of his next word, until he pointed to an object 
which was visible in the chain of rocky hills that stretched out 
on the other side of the lake. Willow-bushes grew there ; and 
whether it was a delusion, or the truth, Marstrand thought he 
recognised Olaf, and with him Paul Petersen and Bjornarne. 

“ Helgestad’s son !” he exclaimed, in surprise. 

The Lapp nodded, and seemed to be in no wise concerned at 
the sight. His eyes were sharp ; and as he bent forward, it 
seemed as if he held his ear towards them, and that he could 
overhear their conversation. In a few minutes, the strangers 
descended the hill, and rapidly approached the tent. 

“They must not find me,” said Marstrand. “What do they 
want ?” 

Afraja lifted up with his staff the thick cloth partition of the 
other compartment of the tent, and said, “ Conceal yourself 
there, and you will hear the reason of their coming.” 

At his shrill whistle, Mortuno, with some men, came out of 
the provision-gamme ; and he had scarcely beheld the three 
Normans, when his eyes flashed, and his face assumed a wild 
and vindictive expression. Marstrand could not understand the 
subject of the conversation between the uncle and nephew, but 
he perceived, from gestures and signs, that Afraja commanded 
caution and peace ; and he finally seemed to speak in a most 


AFR A J A. 


449 


imperative tone, as Mortuno seized his gun, which hung upon 
the post by the entrance. 

He obediently laid down the weapon again, and silently lis- 
tened, with the other men, to the commands of the chief. 
They all then immediately withdrew, and Afraja sat down by 
the hearth upon the birch seat, until the barking of dogs, and 
rough laughing voices, close at hand, announced the arrival of 
his guests. 

“ Call away your beasts !” cried the secretary, as he observed 
Afraja; “do not let them attack your best friends and patrons. 
There sits the wise high-priest on the bundle of straw,” he 
continued, in a jocular tone, “and hardly takes notice of our 
insignificant presence.” 

Afraja made another whistle, and immediately called off his 
dogs. 

“ Now, verily,” said Paul, as he pressed forward to the tent, 
“ we have him, and our ardent desire is gratified. Peace be 
with you ! all glorious Afraja; heaven protect your dear head! 
You look upon us with stoical indifference, and yet you are 
curious to know to what you are indebted for the honor of our 
visit to this blessed gamme. I will advise you of that in a 
few words. Yesterday morning early we left Lyngenfiord, to 
make an autumn hunt, as the grouse, and snipes, and other 
game are now in the best order. Wc have had abundant suc- 
cess, and a heavy-laden horse has been dispatched to the 
Omnisjok with the prey; we, however, pushed on through the 
Pitsasjauren, where we slept, and from thence came on to the 
Kilpis. When we saw your tents, wise patriarch, we deemed 
it indispensable to make you a visit, and recommend ourselves 
to your friendship.” 

i “You are welcome,” said Afraja; “I am glad to see the 
sunshine in my gamme. Sit down by me ; all that I have is 
yours.” 

“You have heard it!” exclaimed Paul, laughing; “all that 
ho has belongs to us. We take you at your word, and here are 
38* 2d 


450 


AFR A JA. 


the witnesses. Will you acknowledge then, old miser, where 
you conceal your treasures?” 

“ Seek them,” replied the Lapp, joining in the merriment, 
“and take what you find.” 

“You also give your permission to that; who knows, now, 
what may happen ?” He raised up the curtain of the tent, 
and looked into the next division ; hut as he perceived nothing 
within it hut covers and household effects, he asked ; “ Where 
are your people ? are your gammes depopulated ? Where is 
the amiable Mortuno, who was formerly so quick of hand when 
he saw a Norman hat ?” 

“My heasts are at pasture in the valley,” replied Afraja, 
“ and my young people are with them. Let me see what I can 
set before my guests.” 

He went out before the door of the tent, and clapped his 
hands as a summons to some women and children. 

“If the old rascal were indeed alone, we might speak an 
earnest word with him.” 

“Ho not make a bad joke, my dear fellow,” answered Paul, 
whose eyes restlessly roved around; “I thought you knew well 
enough what a Lappish ball signified. No, peace and friend- 
ship with the old sorcerer, who must not, on any account, dis- 
trust us. Let us drink his milk, and do not thwart my 
plans. Be of good heart, Bjornarne, think of your sweet 
love, Hannah, who anxiously expects you to-morrow; and you, 
Olaf, do not begin any dispute, for I see, just as I thought, 
Mortuno’s yellow face peering out of the storehouse gamme. 
Afraja will certainly be polite enough not to bring him into 
your neighborhood, to disturb your good-humor and cool 
blood.” 

The three young men seated themselves at the hearth-stone, 
with their guns and hunting-pouches alongside of them ; and 
Paul drew out a well-filled bottle, which he held up before the 
returning Afraja. “Take this drink of the Gods,” he ex- 
claimed, “which Jubinal would not disdain. You are a con- 


AFRAJA. 


451 


noisseur, I consecrate it to you. Excellent raki from the fire- 
land of the south. Do not refuse it, worthy chief ; your slaves, 
there, are bringing milk, reindeer meat, and flour cakes ; at 
present we have nothing else to offer in return; but our 
indebtedness shall be discharged when we meet again. Are 
you coming to Lyngenfiord in person ?” 

“ I am coming,” replied the Lapp, with a smile of satisfac- 
tion. u I shall carry thither more than an hundred reindeer.” 
He enumerated his other articles of sale ; and a conversation 
arose touching the markets, while three Lappish women and 
children brought in some food, which they placed before the 
guests. 

Marstrand lay concealed under the cover, and could hear 
every sound ; but no allusion was made to what he was most 
anxious about. Not a word was said of him, and no inquiry or 
remark of any kind was made touching the sudden moneyed aid 
he had received. The hunters were hungry and thirsty; they 
relished much the juicy meat, and laughed at Paul Petersen’s 
wit, who extolled in high terms the delicate fingers which had 
prepared and brought it. 

“ You must come to the Lyngen market,” said the secretary 
with a full mouth, “ and you will thus obtain the thanks of the 
voigt of Tromsoe. All kinds of disputes, petty thefts, brawls, 
assaults, and other improprieties, have occurred. To speak the 
truth, it is on this account that I have come to you. You have 
influence with your countrymen. Keep them in order, that 
they may not commit any excesses. You are a reflecting, in- 
telligent man, and you can foresee the consequences.” 

“ Am I to blame ?” asked Afraja. 

11 None censures you,” continued Paul ; u but your own ne- 
phew plays sad tricks. Where is he ? Is he here ?” 

“ Not here,” said the old man, with a Lappish laugh. u Do 
not mind him ; he is young, and will grow better.” 

“ Has he a, wife ?” said Paul. u Has he not led Miss Gula 
home to his gamme ?” 


452 


AFE A J A. 


Afraja shook with laughter, and took a hearty draught from 
the rum-bottle. — “ It is a long way to the Enare,” he exclaimed ; 
“ Mortuno has time to whip the top, when the winter snow has 
fallen.” 

“That means, in the language of civilized men, that you 
have hidden Gula at the Enare lake, and her marriage will 
take place as soon as you have fixed your winter encampment.” 

“ You are a wise man ; a wise man !” said the Lapp, smiling. 

“Why did you steal Gula away from my father’s house?” 
asked Bjornarne, impatiently. 

“The deuce!” interrupted the secretary; “therein he is 
right ; every father must look after his child. What could she 
do in Orenaes Gaard ? Ilda cannot take her with her, and I 
would not like to have her in Tromsoe ; and your young wife 
has as little need of her. She could be useful to none but 
Olaf, who might take her as housekeeper with him to Bodoen. 
Will you give her to him, Afraja?” 

“ Let him seek her gamine at Enare.” 

“ Bather wolves and bears, than such a brood !” replied Olaf. 

“Do not take it ill, Afraja,” said Paul; “it is with this un- 
feeling man as with a nut; his shell is hard, but his kernel is 
sweet. He loves you more than you think, and would carry 
you on his back to Lyngenfiord, if you would allow it. He has, 
however, previously to make a request of you. In a few days 
he will set out on a distant voyage, for which he has need of 
good wind and weather. You are a sorcerer; all the world says 
so. In the old books it is written of the saidmen or sorcerers 
whom king Olaf caused to be burned, that they made a profes- 
sion of dispensing, at will, storm and sunshine, and good and bad 
weather. Tell us, then, wise Afraja, if you really have this 
power. Out with the truth, and do not sit there in such a 
brown study. Will you give my good friend Olaf here his 
wind, and thus procure him a quick voyage ?” 

Afraja shook his head, with a cunning laugh. 

“ Why will you not do it, old sharper ?” asked Olaf, pushing 


A P E A J A . 


458 


up the butt-end of his musket. “Write your hocus-pocus, and 
I will give you a dollar for it.” 

“ You call it so,” replied the Lapp ; “ but what will you do 
with it?” 

“ Don't trouble yourself about that,” interrupted Paul ; “ he 
believes not in your wondrous art, and I beg you to convert 
him. Fishermen have told me that you have sold them good 
fortune, and that you have rendered their fishing abundantly 
successful. Tell me if it is not true.” 

Afraja laughed to himself, and then, without further reply, 
he took out of the pocket, suspended from his belt, a small an- 
gular-shaped piece of brass, which bore a resemblance to a 
rudely-formed human head. He held it by one end, and Olaf 
by the other ; and, whilst he muttered something to himself, 
he wound it round with a thin sinew, which he likewise drew 
from his pocket. When this was done, he tied three knots in 
it, each accompanied by a certain saying, and handed it to the 
Nordlander, who all the while exhibited a most incredulous 
face. 

“ What shall I do with the trumpery ?” inquired Olaf. 

“ Carry it with you,” said Afraja; “wind and waves will be 
at your service.” 

“ Nonsense !” exclaimed Olaf. “ Do you suppose that I 
believe in your tricks? Enough of the joke ; let us go.” 

He was about to throw the amulet in the smoking ashes on 
the hearth, as the secretary held him by the arm, emphatically 
saying, “You should not so reward Afraja’ s willingness to serve 
us with his sorcery. You should thankfully accept it, and you 
can try its utility.” 

He thrust it in Olafi’s coat, and put on his hat. “Give 
Afraja your thaler,” he continued; “let us be gone, if we would 
reach Lyngenfiord by night. We shall meet you again at the 
market, Afraja. You will be satisfied.” 

They left the gamme after the restoration of harmony and 
good feeling by the secretary, and a general shaking of hands 


454 


AFRAJA. 


Afraja accompanied them. When Marstrand issued from his 
hiding-place, he saw them all standing on the edge of the woody 
ravine, where the reindeer were at pasture. They looked down 
into its depths, and Petersen’s eyes followed the course of the 
water and the high wall of rock which rose up against the 
Kilpis, Afraja appeared to be advising them as to their route, 
and they then crossed the fjeld, and disappeared between the 
masses of rock on the other side of the water. 

Marstrand was disquieted at this strange encounter. Was it 
indeed mere accident which had brought his former friends 
there ? or what secret motive had inspired them ? 

“ They are gone!” he exclaimed to Afraja, “but are you 
certain that they did not suppose me here ? and have you no 
apprehensions concerning them ?” 

“ They know nothing of you,” responded the old man ; and, 
with a significant smile, he added, “ they wish to have me at 
their market; and Afraja will go — he will go and settle his 
account with the wise voigt.” 

“ Beware !” said Marstrand, who felt a presentiment as he 
looked upon Afraja’s mysterious countenance. Scorn and anger 
were expressed in its deep folds and wrinkles, and his reddish 
eyes looked towards the point where the Normans had dis- 
appeared. 

“ Let me know,” said he, “ what is your will. I am indebted 
to you, and will maintain my word ; but I will not remain in 
doubt any longer touching what you desire of me.” 

Afraja stood up. “You are impatient,” said he; “let us go 
to Grula; she is expecting you.” 

“ Only tell me when to go.” 

“Not now,” answered Afraja. “Come and follow me.” He 
went forward ; and close on the steep precipice which the lake 
bathed, he conducted him to the platform of rock upon which 
lay the circle of huge blocks of rock in which Marstrand had 
passed the night. When he reached the first, he bowed him- 
self humbly, and folding his arms on his breast, muttered some- 


A F R A J A . 


455 


thing to himself which was, undoubtedly, a prayer or an invo- 
cation. lie then kneeled on the smooth, table-like stone of 
sacrifice, in the middle, and speaking aloud, raised his head up 
to the black summit of the Kilpis, which, in the sunlight, now 
looked almost like a colossal head, with long hair and a wide- 
extended mouth, from which the red sunbeams streamed forth. 

“Sit down here, by me, young man,” said Afraja. “You 
are at a place which neither permits falsehood nor deceit. This 
is the holy Saita of Jubinal ; where the father of all things for 
many years has been worshipped. Jubinal’s hands placed the 
stones here as they are ; his eye sees into the hearts of those who 
come and call upon him; his ear knows what they think; 
nothing is concealed from him.” 

The old man seemed, as he spoke, to grow stronger; and 
his voice sounded earnest and solemn, and what he said was 
simple and penetrating; very different from the usual manner 
of speaking of the Lapps. 

“ I speak, in the first place, of you,” he resumed, “ in order 
to show you that I am sincere. You come here to a land of 
strife and poverty, to associate with those who are entirely ab- 
sorbed with their greedy thirst for money. They oppress all 
who have any relations with them, and much more, us who, 
before they came, possessed this land. You are acquainted with 
books and writings ; so you must have heard that this exten- 
sive land was once the property of our fathers. Their bones 
are yet found in rock graves in the far south, on the shores of 
the Baltic ; but we rove over these treeless fjelds, and even these 
deserts are envied to us by these cruel men. 

“ Do not think,” he continued, after a melancholy silence, 
“ that the reindeer formed our only care and sustenance. Many 
sagas have related that we once lived in light, beautiful valleys, 
where fruit-trees and grain grew. We were driven away from 
them by force ; we were hunted and persecuted, until nothing 
was left to us but the naked waste, and the creatures which 
can alone live there. Your books relate, that your wise 


456 


A F R A J A 


men went to the Finns, to learn what they knew ; they will 
also inform you how queen Gunnhild acquired her knowledge 
of sorcery from two Finn brothers, and how she betrayed these, 
her tutors, to become king Erick's wife. The Finns were not 
then despised; their boundaries extended beyond Nordland 
to Helgeland. 

“ This was all so/' he said, raising his head; “but what avail 
complaints ? Every generation has seen worse times ; and if it 
continues so, there must soon be an end of us. Our best pas- 
tures are lost; there is neither right nor conscience in our per- 
secutors; our presence only provokes ridicule, and our name 
contempt. How is justice to be expected from those who hold 
us in less consideration than the meanest animals, and who would 
slay us wherever they could lay their hands on us, if they had 
not a double advantage over us in the markets, in buying and 
selling. 

“ You, young man," he said, with a grateful look, “ have 
been born with a mild heart. Your soul was fashioned by Ju- 
binal's hand, and baptized in the fire of justice. You interested 
yourself for the outcast, and what has happened to you, in con- 
sequence ? He who assisted you to your property, did it to ruin 
you. The men who govern the country united with him to 
chase you away ; and when I lent you my helping hand, they 
detested you as one whose neighborhood was worse than death 
itself." 

“What you say is all true," interrupted Marstrand; “but 
how can it be helped ? Let me know what I can do to put an 
end to these outrages." 

Afraja remained silent for some time, and then replied, 
“ Whatever you may do, you cannot escape their vengeance. 
You will find none to offer you a hand ; every door will be 
closed against you, and none will trade with you, or eat youi 
bread. You will find only miserable people to serve you, who 
will deceive you ; you cannot take fish ; and where you show 


APR A J A. 


457 


yourself, you will be insulted ; and whatever you undertake, 
will be injured and destroyed.” 

“ You are right,” answered Marstrand, keenly excited ; “ I 
have received too many proofs of the ill-will and malice enter 
tained against me; many also act with great secresy and de- 
liberation, the better to conceal their evil intentions.” 

“ Do what you will,” said the old man, “ they will be quicker 
than you. The voigt and sorenskriver are the most powerful men 
in Finnmark ; they are your enemies, and will give you no rest. 
They will contrive plans to ruin you, and will reduce you to 
poverty. You know,” said he, “of what worth judges and 
laws are with this people. Him whom they would ruin 
they deliver to justice; when they seek to divest a man of 
his property, they send the sorenskriver to his house. You may 
be sure that Paul Petersen has already devised a mode to ac- 
complish his base purposes against you.” 

“And is there no means of escaping from this brother- 
hood?” 

“ There is but one means,” answered Lapp, looking fixedly 
at him, “ but one means ; there is no other, and it will help us 
both. Listen ! How many traders live in the sounds and 
fiords ? Not five hundred. Who loves them ? None ! Are 
they stout, valiant men who can chase the wolf and the bear? 
They are lazy, drink, count money, reckon, and sit at home by 
their firesides. — What are we, on the contrary ? — a people of 
more than ten thousand men, all of whom are armed, indefati- 
gable, and untiring alike in the chase and in the storm.” 

“ How ?” exclaimed Marstrand, astounded and alarmed, “will 
you excite an insurrection against the king and his govern- 
ment ?” 

“Not against the king and his government,” said Afraja; 
“ but against our enemies, who abuse all authority in the name 
of the king.” 

“ He knows nothing of it. Did he know it, or was the gov- 
ernor in Trondheim informed of it, much would not happen, 
89 


458 


APR A J A. 


that is complained of. I hope that Klaus Horncmann’s efforts 
will soon bring efficient help.” 

u He knows it not/' said Afraja, “ the worse for him. How 
can he wish to be king, so many hundred miles from here ? No, 
Herr, I hope for nothing. Nothing from your king — nothing 
from his servants, and nothing from the old pastor, who thinks 
we must become Christians ; and thus the heaven will be open 
for us, in which our tormentors wish to enter. I do not desire 
to be where they are ; and if your God were mighty, how could 
he permit his children to act in such a manner?” 

Marstrand had found time for reflection. “I admit what, in 
your bitterness of feeling, you have said, but you must pru- 
dently consider what the consequences would be. The traders 
and settlers, the Quanes and fishermen, would not suffer them- 
selves to be overpowered so easily. Your people are scattered 
over the whole north, as far as the Frozen Ocean. You have no 
power over them. Even the two hundred families on this fiord 
are each for themselves ; often in hostility, and never capable 
of being united. Should you succeed in burning the houses in 
some places, or, what is altogether improbable, in destroying 
all the- settlements, there would soon come ships full of soldiers 
who would take fearful vengeance.” 

Afraja laughed to himself — u Let them come,” he answered ; 
“ it is far to the Enare Traesk, and to the Bumanafiord. A 
Lappish ball can be fired from every rock, and your soldiers are 
not men, who would wade for many days through swamps, and 
climb through the Jauren, without being well supplied with 
good meat and drink.” 

The Dane was obliged to admit all this ; but the more he 
saw that Afraja spoke in earnest, the more his feelings were 
excited against his views. 

“ If I knew,” he said at length, tc that you could resort to 
such bloody and ruinous measures, I would do all in my power 
to frustrate your plans.” 

Afraja answered with a look full of meaning, and which Mar- 


AFRAJA. 


459 


strand thoroughly understood. “ You would never,” said he, 
in a deliberate tone, “ see the Lyngenfiord again, if you should 
seek to betray him who has done you so much good. But you 
could not do it, if you would.” 

“ Will you force me ? Will you hold me prisoner ?” 

“ You have laid your head in Jubinal’s holy Saita, you have 
taken your bread from his altar. I have not asked in vain the 
universal father, if you should be his instrument : all the signs 
have answered that he has taken you into his alliance.” 

“What have I to do with your horrible pagan sorcery!” 
replied the young man, with a secret shudder; “I am as 
little disposed to serve your God as I am to participate in your 
insane schemes.” 

“You are destined to it, and will fulfil the command,” 
replied Afraja, unmoved. “ Do not suppose that I inconsider- 
ately expose myself to danger. Mortuno is a fearless man; 
the young men of all the gamme are ready to follow him. We 
have powder and arms, and everything necessary.” 

“ And at the first shot they will run off,” exclaimed 
Marstrand. 

“You will be with them,” said Afraja, “and your presence 
will give them courage.” 

“ Who ? I ?” exclaimed Marstrand ; “ may my hand rather 
be palsied ! But cease with your jesting,” he continued, as he 
seated himself again on the block of stone. “ You wish to tempt 
me, but you must see that I can never assist you in such designs, 
although I am ready to help you in all proper undertakings.” 

“You are skilled in the art of war, and many fear you,” said 
Afraja. “ When my brethren see you at their head, they will 
be firm ; but you are also mighty in your own land, and can 
make your voice be heard there. It is said that he who has 
money can do anything in Copenhagen. Jubinal will give 
you these arms, young man. You shall satisfy their avarice 
with as much money as they desire. Let them fix the price 
for which they will sell us our land.” 


460 


APRAJA. 


“ If you possess so much money,” said the Dane, astonished, 
“ much may be effected through negotiations. At all events, a 
better and more just government maybe obtained, together with 
larger privileges and a strict supervision of the traders and 
voigts.” 

Afraja shook his head in derision. “They must all leave; 
we will not tolerate them any more. Were you to give them 
our silver in bags, they would come to-morrow to seek for more. 
Have you not yourself advised that we must inspire them with 
fear, if we desire them to respect us ? They shall learn to fear, 
for you have spoken truly, young man. Jubinal’s children 
shall go down to them, and Jubinal shall have his victim !” 

The fierce looks which he cast upon the stone, the witness 
of many a bloody sacrifice, startled the Dane. A frightful 
thought passed through his brain, that perhaps he himself 
might be sacrificed to the dark god, if he refused to fulfil the 
will of Afraja; but his pride and honor struggled against a 
hypocritical submission. He, therefore, began with much 
composure again to dissuade Afraja from any lawless act, and 
to show him in a dispassionate manner that there was no possi- 
bility of the success of an appeal to insurrection. He demon- 
strated to him, on the contrary, with impressive truth, the 
consequences that would ensue. All the odious complaints 
and accusations against his unhappy race would, for the first 
time, meet with general belief. None would thereafter raise 
their voices to defend it ; all the horrors of fanatical persecution 
would now break out, to end, amid the greatest cruelties, in its 
annihilation. 

“ You will offer silver to purchase the freedom of your coun- 
try, but, as you admit, you will thus only add new stimulus to 
their greedy rapacity. If it were true, as Paul' Petersen 
asserts, that rich silver-mines lie concealed in the bowels of 
these mountains, with which you alone are acquainted, take 
care not to give increased credence to the tale. To possess 
themselves of the silver of Peru, the Spaniards destroyed whole 
nations of people, and the voigt of Tromsoe would readily find 


AFRAJA. 


461 


companions to join him in your spoliation. Great bands would 
come in search of these treasures, and of what advantage would 
it be to drive off the fish-traders, and give place to worse suc- 
cessors ? 

Afraja listened attentively; and he, several times, seemed to 
recognise the truth of his guest’s remarks, “Be patient/’ re- 
sumed the latter, “ as I am. My condition is, indeed, unhappy 
enough, and you have not been able to give me any comfort ; 
but you have, on the contrary, shown that I am a lost man. I 
do not, nevertheless, despair. I will seek to hold out, and 
God, who is the help of the weak, will indicate to me the way 
that I must go. I will find help — will go in person to Trond- 
heim and Copenhagen; and you may rest assured, Afraja, that 
I will raise my voice to the utmost of its power in your behalf.” 

The old chieftain, after a silence of some minutes, resumed, 
as if he had heard nothing of Marstrand’s assurances, from the 
point at which he had ceased. 

“ When we have driven them away, we must then look to 
it, that no others come. Your words are in my memory, and 
you are right in saying that we can only possess this land when 
we ourselves engage in trade, and live in fixed dwellings. But 
why should we not be able to do it? We can handle the net, 
as well as the noose of the shepherd and the gun of the hunter. 
We received our understanding from the great Father, and we 
know how to use it. Our hands are apt for many things. 
Who sews such fine shoes — who makes such beautiful girdles, 
pockets, and collars ? Why should we not build vessels and 
houses ? Why should we not be able to go to the fishery at 
Lofodden, and even to Bergen ? Why should we not prosper, 
and be respected ?” 

Marstrand regarded him with astonishment. What Afraja 
said sounded well ; but it was, nevertheless, a dream — a tale 
impossible to realize. How could these half-savage reindeer 
shepherds, these hunters of the mountain, this deeply-despised, 
and from time immemorial, oppressed and degraded race of 
39 * 


462 


AFRAJA. 


men, be civilized, as would be necessary, in order to become a 
trading, tilling, and fishing people ?” 

A feeling of the warmest sympathy seized the young man ; 
for Afraja’s questions were deeply affecting. His countenance 
took another expression ; and the thoughts, which agitated his 
mind, beamed from his eyes. 

“Oh! Afraja!” he exclaimed, “would to God that I could 
believe that all could really happen, and that your people could 
be raised from their degradation ! Were all like you and Mor- 
tuno ! but alas ! reflect what the most of them are. Desist, old 
man : it is too late !” 

“ Too late ! ” muttered Afraja, as he dropped his head ; he 
then looked up to the crags of the Kilpis, and its sun-illumined 
peak, and in a resolute tone said : “ Jubinal helps you and me ( 
you must not despair. You have won the heart of Gula ; her 
lips have grown pale, and her eyes are dark with tears. You 
have found the way to her affections, because God willed it 
so. Take her as your wife, with all that I have, and give me 
your hand as a pledge of fidelity.” He extended his hand, 
but Marstrand did not move. 

“ Listen to me, and do not be angry ! Gula is dear to me ; 
I could venture much for her, but she can never be my wife — 
never !” 

Afraja stared wildly at him, and said, “ What did you do to 
her ?” 

“ Nothing ! I honor her, I esteem her as a sister, and now 
ask no more ; another woman has my love, and will retain it as 
long as I live.” 

“ Do you repel her from you who has kissed your mouth ?” 
ejaculated the old man, clasping his hands. 

“You do not understand me,” answered Marstrand. “I 
will speak with her in person ) she will justify me.” 

“ Hold !” exclaimed Afraja, seizing him by the arm. “Are 
you a wolf, to strike your teeth in her flesh, without regard to 
her grief? She will die if you speak to her.” 


A F It A J A . 


463 


He sat down again upon the stone, and fell into a deep medi- 
tation ; but his eyes roved restlessly around, and his lips softly 
muttered words. Marstrand did not interrupt him ; he wished 
himself far away from this mysterious spot. How could he 
take G-ula from this father, who offered her as a reward for a 
treason which would dishonor him forever, and must drive him 
into the wilderness with the Lapps and reindeer? "Were he 
possessed by an all-forgetting love, it would have delivered him 
into Afraja’s hands. Bjornarne was right; only the most 
ardent passion would bring a Norman into the gamme of a 
Lapp. Marstrand had nothing but good-will, pity, and what 
is called friendship. 

Sad and disconsolate, he buried his face in his hands. Afraja 
commenced to speak to him in a mild and gentle manner. 

“ You know,” said he, “ that I have only this child, and I am 
old. How long will it be before Jubinal sends his messenger ? 
At the desire of the pastor, and because I believed it would be 
well for her to learn some things, I gave her in charge of IIcl- 
gestad. It was not wisely done; you know, Herr, what 
happened. G-ula fled, but her heart was with you ; and I saw 
her grow pale, saw Hangir, the dark messenger of death, scatter 
the white flower over her head and lips. I prostrated myself, 
then, before the great father, and struck my head upon his holy 
stone. He spoke to me ; the smoke of my sacrifice rose high, 
and steadily, and his commands filled my brain. 

“ I had destined Mortuno to be my heir; I knew that he 
kissed the dew from the grass which Gula’s feet trod. I told 
him JubinaFs command, showed him the way he should go, and 
he went it without complaining. I sent him to you, to bring' 
the man for whom Gula’s eyes longed. 

“Do not interrupt me,” he continued; “hear me. Jubinal. 
lies not; his will is mightier than the will of men. I could say 
much to seduce you, or to move you, and could show you that 
I have power; but peace and love shall always be with you. 
Speak kindly with Gula ; to-morrow I will again question you. 


464 


AFR A J A. 


Jubinal is omnipotent; he will turn your heart. Be silent, 
yoitfig man, and let us go ; Gula is anxiously awaiting you.” 

This was an escape, a respite until morning, which was 
eagerly embraced by Marstrand. What change could be made, 
he did not know; but he required time for reflection and 
preparation. 

“ I will think of it,” he said, " will examine myself ; but if 
the power of your God does not prevail over me, then let your 
promise be true, Afraja; let love and peace exist between us.” 

The Lapp nodded his assent with a cunning smile. i( Ayka, 
the goddess of love, will fix herself on your head ; and when 
you awake, she will hover over you.” Thus speaking, he pre- 
ceded Marstrand down the steps of rock. 


CHAPTER XX. 

How lovely was now the secluded valley, fragrant with the 
perfume of flowers, and illuminated by the warm noonday sun ! 
Gula flew with a cry of joy to meet her friend, as he came for- 
ward under the mountain arch. All his gloom and anxiety 
disappeared at the sight of her happy, animated face. 

Gula had dressed herself out as she had not done for a long 
time. She had left her Norwegian fur jacket, the plaited gown, 
and the white apron in Helgestad's house; for Afraja would 
not have permitted her to wear it. She now appeared in the 
romantic costume which the young maidens of the mountains 
sometimes yet wear, when they belong to the more fashionable 
classes, and are rich, taxable heiresses. 

She had interwoven her rich, dark hair, with red ribbons, 
which was fastened by a golden hoop, that encircled her brows. 


APRAJA. 


465 


Her short-gown, of blue, light woollen stuff, was elegantly em- 
broidered with red threads, and secured around the waist by a 
long, falling sash. White trowsers descended to the half-boots 
of fine, soft reindeer leather* and these were ornamented with 
various-colored stripes. A feather pocket, of the finest kind, 
hung from her girdle ; and around her neck she wore a collar 
of gold pearls, which glittered in the sun-light. 

But nothing could be more radiant and ravishing than Gula’s 
countenance, full of love and tenderness. Her eyes beamed 
forth her heart’s happiness ; they flashed with delight when she 
saw with what increasing pleasure Marstrand gazed upon her. 
She wished to please her lover; she sought his approving smile, 
his admiration, and his praise; she tremblingly clasped his 
hands, and hung on his lips with the fervent faith of a saint, 
who awaits the command of his God. 

“ Where were you?” she exclaimed. “How long I have 
expected you, adorned myself, and asked myself if I am as I 
was when I first saw you. Oh ! then I was more pleasing to 
look upon. Is it not so ? Tell me, if you did not like me more 
then ?” 

“No, Gula,” replied Marstrand; “never have I seen you 
with greater pleasure, or found you more beautiful.” 

“ Oh, how kind you are !” she exclaimed, with an inimitable 
expression of the love which engrossed her heart ; “ what con- 
solation and strength you bring to my anxious bosom ! Como 
now, and I will show you my dwelling, and the waterfall, where 
you will gladly sit. When Klaus Hornemann was with us, ho 
used to gaze upon it for a long time, declaring it the most 
beautiful that the human eye could see. But are you fa- 
tigued? Your eye is dark, and you smile not. Have I done 
you harm ? or does something give you pain ? Has my father 
vexed you ?” 

“ No one has vexed me, and you, least of all,” he answered. 

She was satisfied, and led him on. Afraja held back, follow 
ing leisurely behind. 

2 E 


466 


AFRAJA. 


The valley turned in the form of a crescent to the mountain 
declivity of the Kilpis, gradually rising to a greater height. 
Everywhere it preserved a garden-like appearance. Luxu- 
riant, thick grass covered the ground; and where it opened 
towards the south, it was full of sunlight, which diffused an 
agreeable warmth. Strong mountain firs mingled with the 
birch trees ; and behind a beautiful grass plot, under protecting 
rocks, was a small, firm-set house, like the log-houses of the 
Norman traders, but incomparably more elegant. Its exterior 
was covered with birch bark, lapping over in separate 
pieces, like shells. Over the door Marstrand perceived a row 
of huge reindeer horns, and his astonishment was yet more in- 
creased by the sight of a couple of windows. Gula said, laugh- 
ing, u All this is the patient work of Mortuno. He bought the 
windows at a dear price, and arranged the house as you see it. 
But look here, at what is more beautiful,” she continued. u Sit 
down upon this bank by me, as formerly in Ilda’s garden ; no 
one is here to disturb us.” 

She had conducted him past the house, through the birch- 
wood, where the foaming brook forced its way; and already, 
before he perceived the wonder which he was to see, he heard 
the sullen thunder of a great waterfall, which now burst upon 
him in all its glory. Some hundred feet higher than the val- 
ley, the stream fell down from a cliff of the Kilpis, like a mass 
of molten silver, and plunged into a black cauldron of rock, 
from which the water-dust (wasserstaub) rose in eddying whirls. 
Millions of dazzling sparks, scattered in the sunlight, formed 
rainbows of the richest hues. It was fascinating to perceive 
how the sparkling clouds flew against the wall of rock, and sank 
down; how the thunder continually roared through the air; 
and how new, changing, and variegated pictures formed and 
dissolved over the valley. The damp mist had called into exis- 
tence a most luxuriant vegetation. Mountain flowers grew 
there, such as Marstrand had never seen there before. He 
looked upon a garden full of blue and bright red beds, and his 


AFR A J A, 


467 


eyes were charmed at the beauty and grandeur of the spec- 
tacle. 

Upon the bank, opposite the dark grotto in which the column 
of water-dust fell, thence to make its last spring like a cascade, 
he sat and listened to the prattle of Gula. Here had the gods 
of her fathers dwelt ; here had Jubinal’s mighty hand rescued 
his beloved when the giants and the wicked Pekel began their 
combat; and there, above, in secret, deep-hidden gardens, yet 
lived the universal Father, with his blessed spirits, who nightly 
descended in the soft moonlight and wandered through the 
valley. 

He dreamingly listened, and looked up to the stone shapes 
to which Gula gave form and meaning, and then upon her ani- 
mated countenance, radiant with joy and happiness. It seemed 
to him as if he could sit and gaze there for ever; as if he could 
renounce all which lay outside this little world, and that Jubinal’s 
arm would close up the valley by insurmountable rocks, and for 
ever prevent his exit from it. He breathed deeply, and looked 
around ; as it were, in apprehension that this event had already 
taken place, and then laid his arm around the yielding maiden, 
who bent towards his embrace. A gentle moan of the wind swept 
over their heads. The trees bent lightly, and voices whispered 
from them, and a cloud of sparkling mist rose up from the 
waterfall and surged towards them. 

Gula pointed to the rainbow which stood over them. (( God 
speaks to us,” said she ; u that is his sign.” 

“ And what does he say to you ?” 

“ That I shall never leave you.” 

“ Shall I dwell with you ?” he continued, laughing, “ sit 
under the birches, hold your hands, and conceal you from all 
the world, and adorn you with flowers ?” 

“ The flowers fade,” answered Gula, “ the brook freezes, the 
valley is filled with snow, and Afraja wanders away to the lakes 
of the Tana. I will go wherever you wish.” 

“ Oh, poor little Gula !” he exclaimed, “ I do not yet know 


468 


AFRAJA. 


where I shall find a resting-place. You have heard what is my 
present condition.” 

She bowed to him, laid both her hands upon his breast, and 
confidently looked upon him with her lustrous eyes. 

“ Must you, then, dwell at the Balsfiord V- she inquired. 
i( Must you live in this rough land among such rude men ?” 

The suggestion came upon him unexpectedly. u Whither 
shall I go ?”■ said he, surprised. 

“ To your native country,” she replied. “ Is it true what 
I once heard Paul Petersen say, that none will hold me in con- 
tempt there if I bring riches with me ?” 

“ Money !” exclaimed Marstrand : “ it secures respect and 
consideration everywhere.” 

“All, then, is right,” she confidently said. “Afraja will 
give you as much as you wish. We will take passage in a vessel 
for the south. You have told me so much of Copenhagen, and 
now I will see it.” She clapped her little hands, and her 
eyes grew bright at the idea with which her head was filled. 
“ I will learn everything, and you will see that I can accomplish 
anything I choose. Tell me what I am to do. God bless you ! 
God bless you, dear, good J ohn !” 

How could he pour a black drop in this stream of hoping 
love ? The happiness which he could awake reflected its glim- 
mer upon him; and, as he observed her with a long, tender 
look, he said, half to himself, “ Trust in me. I will do all that 
a man can do to requite your true friendship.” 

“ You will never forsake me, nor cast me off!” she exclaimed, 
in a tone of unshaken confidence. “ When I saw you again, 
to-day, the thought seized upon me as a wild beast, and a ter- 
rible anxiety commingled with my joy. Now I know, for cer- 
tain, that it was childish and foolish. I could not bear it,” she 
said, with a gentle smile. 

“ But what will your father say if you desire to forsake him ? 
Will he consent to it ?” 

“ He will, he must !” she answered, joyously springing up 


AFRAJA 


469 


(( There he stands, expecting ns. Speak with him on the spot ) 
he will gladly listen to you.” 

Marstrand soon saw that she knew nothing of her father’s 
plan, but he easily pacified her with the assurance, that on the 
next day he would speak with him. 

“He will be glad to see you,” said Gula, “and I can think 
of but you alone. What you do is good, and that is all that I 
know.” 

Hand in hand, in happy conversation, he led her to the hut, 
before which the old man sat in the sunshine, seeming to hold 
conversation with the two dogs, which stood regarding him with 
uplifted ears. 

“ They are wise beasts, Herr Marstrand,” said he, “ they are 
just asking me why no fire is to be seen on the hearthstone, as 
the sun has already cast long shadows there and I answered 
them that it is not good to be there, where there are men who 
are satisfied with mere words.” Laughing after his manner, he 
stroked the soft hair of his daughter, and in his angular face 
there shone something which appeared like a tender, parental 
satisfaction. “Flowers live on dew,” he continued, “fishes on 
water, and maidens on love ; but food also is indispensable to 
the existence of every human being.” 

Gula ran into the house, and Marstrand sat down by Afraja, 
who related to him much of his wanderings, which had extended 
for more than a hundred miles to the north, and far into the 
land. He described the family arrangements, the domestic 
life, and the labors of the Lapps, and said with a certain pride, 
that in this land without law, officers, and bailiffs, there was 
hardly ever a crime committed. 

“ They abuse us as thieves and hypocrites,” said he, “ and 
yet I never knew a theft or robbery committed but by the 
coast people. They are bondsmen — a poor, wretched, and 
oppressed people, who miserably eke out their life. Here, you 
find only free men, who have no lord over them but the Al- 
40 


470 


ATRAJA, 


mighty, and none under them, for all arc equal. We* live in a 
gamme, eat out of a kettle, and clothe ourselves in the same 
dress ; we are brothers who share all, and will never surrender 
their freedom.” 

He could speak so. Even Helgestad himself had recognised 
this indomitable love of freedom, and that no Lapp would ex- 
change his mountains, his gamme and herds, for all the luxury 
and wealth of a king. And this old man wished to cease from 
all this, and to drive away the enemies of his people, in order 
to establish them in their trading posts. It was incredible of 
belief. Afraja himself, who had long lived a shepherd’s life, 
could not possibly transform himself into a fish-merchant and 
navigator, and how could it be otherwise ? How many centuries 
were required to change such a people from hunters and shep- 
herds to cultivators, and how could this degraded race find a 
place among the family of nations ? He looked with esteem 
upon the old man who, in his desperation, could imagine and 
begin such an undertaking. There sat he, before him, in his 
brown, coarse robe, and reindeer shoes, more wretched and 
naked than the meanest beggar at the palace-door of Christians- 
burg ; and yet he was a king, and if fate had placed him on a 
powerful throne, he would, as Klaus Hornemann asserted, have 
been a great and wise prince. What a difference between this 
grey old chieftain in reindeer skins, and the velvet-apparelled, 
embroidered and ribboned monarch in Copenhagen ! Where 
were here the guards, the halberdiers, the luxurious palaces and 
gardens, the ladies in trailing brocades, the pages and soldiers 
in scarlet and gold ! Nothing but men in wooden shoes, and 
women shaggy and wild as the yellow dogs; nothing but rocks 
and wastes, the forest of horned cattle, and princess Grula in 
her blue, fluttering gown, flying through the valley, the white 
reindeer her only companion. 

But what would King Christian give, if he could only 
transfer one of these waterfalls, and a majestic mountain like 
the Kilpis, to his park ? That was not in the power of man to 


AFRAJA. 


471 


accomplish, but Gula could bo transplanted. Gula could weave 
her rich hair in curls, envelope her elegant figure in purple and 
satin, and cover her little feet in shoes with red heels. Was 
then indeed the difference between a wild and tame king, be- 
tween a princess behind mirrored walls, and this one behind 
the hearthstone, so immeasurably great ? Put jewels upon her, 
bind her shining black hair with white pearl strings, and let us 
see who would play her part best. Dress this old man in 
ermine, place a crown on his broad brow, and how would the 
younkers and all the people stare at him ! And he has money, 
much money, despite his rags; and what cannot be done with 
money? Who yet asks after ine? Where is the hand that 
seeks me ? What restrains me yet ? Ha, Ilda ! 

While Marstrand muttered all this to himself, and with open 
eyes dreamed wonderful things of palaces, feasts, and vain 
splendor and glory, Afraja continued to describe the past con- 
dition of his country, without receiving much attention from 
his only listener. 

The Danish government had given itself hardly any trouble 
about Finnmark down to the end of the sixteenth century. It 
was only when the fisheries developed their importance, when 
the codfish trade had increased, and the settlers had considera- 
bly augmented in number, that a regular government was in- 
troduced, with voigts, writers, officers of all kinds, pastors, and 
rising taxes. But all efforts to reduce the independent Lapps 
to subjection had been made in vain, and equally fruitless were 
the attempts to convert them by persecution to Christianity. 

Already the chivalrous king, Christian the Fourth, who 
made a romantic voyage to the North Cape in 1599, had issued 
a severe edict that all the Lapps should renounce their gods, 
and become Christians; sorcerers, however, were to be taken 
and burned alive.' 

“ And was that done ?” asked Marstrand. 

“ To be sure,” replied Afraja ; “ many were burned for a 
century and more, and many priests came and poured water on 


472 


A FRA J A. 


the heads of the heathen. But the water dried up, and the 
priests died. Down to this hour, the teachers of your God 
have been able to effect but little with us ; for what can the 
priests do, who do not understand our language ; and of what 
use are books which we cannot read ? The holy Saitas yet 
exist everywhere in the mountains ; and no Lapp, were he even 
a baptised Christian, would pass by J ubinal’s altar without lay- 
ing his forehead upon it.” 

“ Will you not become a Christian ?” 

The old man crouched upon his staff. “ Are they who call 
themselves Christians,” said he, “so good and just as to induce 
me to the adoption of their faith ?” 

“ My God is strong and just; he mercifully protects those 
who believe in him, and helps them in the hour of need. 
People are no longer burned for sorcery, and we no longer be- 
lieve in such folly. Milder manners bring more humane laws, 
and noble-hearted, pious pastors, such as Klaus Hornemann, will 
no longer preach in vain to your people.” 

Afraja remained silent for some time, and then mildly re- 
plied, “Let us not dispute. Hold fast to your belief, and 
hinder no one in the enjoyment of his own. You see that 
Gula is a Christian ; Mortuno prays with the old Klaus when 
he comes to us, and I have never opposed it. But know, young 
man, that your Christians are not better than the children of 
Jubinal, but are, on the contrary, more cruel and unjust. They 
murder and burn when they can, yet,- and practise as much 
outrage and barbarity as the mild customs, as you call them, 
permit. You see by their treatment to yourself, what they call 
law and right ; beware of them, for you may have much sad 
experience to undergo.” 

At this moment, Gula bounded out of the door, joyously 
exclaiming that her table was ready; and Mortuno, who was 
coming along the brook, approached his uncle, with whom he 
exchanged some words. The poor fellow looked much more 
serious and reflecting than formerly. Of his merry jesting 


A F It A J A*. 


473 


manner as little remained as of the idle foppery to which he 
was so much addicted, With a downcast air, he silently gazed 
upon the happy Gula, who was conducting Marstrand, without 
seeming to observe him. 

The apartment in which the guest entered served the double 
purpose of kitchen and sitting-room. A bright fire burned 
upon the hearth, and a savory odor arose from the kettle. The 
floor was strewn with fresh leaves, a low table stood in the 
middle, upon which lay wooden spoons and plates, and on both 
sides were seats of moss. Although nothing more was to be 
seen in the modest room than a couple of shelves with the 
customary household articles, and some chests in the corner, it 
nevertheless presented a friendly appearance ; for it was clean 
and neatly dressed up, Gula having arranged fir branches in 
the windows, to which were suspended festoons of cowslips and 
bell-flowers. 

This was her palace, her only possession. Of what use was 
money to these people, who buried it in the earth, to whom 
this hut appeared an uncomfortable luxury, and whose choicest 
delicacy was the dark-greyish food which Gula poured from the 
kettle upon the plates, and which was so eagerly looked for by 
her relatives? The white reindeer. and the shaggy dogs lay 
around the fascinating Hebe, who selected the best for her 
friend. It seemed to him, as he sat in this patriarchal circle, 
as if he were in the ark of Noah, in the midst of the flood ; 
but no dove entered with an olive-branch, and he saw no land 
where he could save himself. He shuddered with disgust at 
the first sight of this delectable meal; but, after a spoonful, 
the shepherd’s fare did not appear to him to be so bad. It 
consisted of the blood of the animal, which had been killed in 
his honor, of the heart, liver, and choicest pieces of meat, 
which were cooked with rich milk, flour, and fragrant herbs. 

1 Gula was indefatigable in her assiduous care for her dear 
guest, and delighted at the satisfaction it gave him. He was 
further informed by Afraja that the Wald-Lapps lived upon 
40 * 


474 


Afra j a. 


nothing else than meat and milk, blood and the entrails of their 
beasts ; and when he compared this fare with that of the poor 
fishermen of the coast, the children of the wilderness appeared 
to revel in Lucullian luxury. He also thought of the peasants 
and poor people in Denmark and other countries, who had 
received from civilization little else than the privilege of being 
oppressed by princes and official personages to such a degree 
that the most miserable existence could hardly be maintained. 
The peasantry, at that period, were everywhere in a state of 
bondage, and the prejudices of caste divided, with their iron 
barriers, every condition of society. 

Were not these free shepherds, in many respects, to bo 
envied, with their illimitable hunting and pasture-grounds, and 
exemption from the plagues of civilised people? Marstrand 
expressed this aloud in an emphatic manner; and the descrip- 
tions which he gave of the peasants, and the poor people of the 
towns, of the prerogatives of the nobility, and the great power 
of the princes, appeared to gratify Afraja much. 

He listened for some time, and then said, with a peculiar 
glance of his lowering eyes, “ So falls the rat upon the mouse, 
the marten upon the rat, the wolf upon the marten, and the 
bear upor Ml. In the water, the air, and everywhere, it is the 
same ; but it is a consolation to see that one robber is torn to 
pieces by another, until, at last, Jubinal sends his black mes- 
senger, before whom the boldest tremble. Bring us a drink, 
maiden. Let us drink, that the unjust may mutually devour 
each other, until not one of them shall remain.” 

G-ula brought wooden goblets, and, to Marstrand’s surprise, a 
bottle of good old Madeira, which Afraja had bought, with 
some others, at the last market. 

The sun, in the meanwhile, declined, and the valley was 
covered with shadow. They sat together, and the hours passed 
away, and the stars rose in the heavens. The waterfall thun- 
dered, and flashed like a white light through the night. Mar- 
strand walked through the driving spray of the fall, which 


A FRA J A. 


475 


eooled his heated face. His eyes sought those of Gula, which 
were glowingly fastened upon him, when he spoke of his father’s 
old palace at Seeland, and of the days which should come there • 
of the hunts in the beech-woods ; of the lovely hill-slopes re- 
flected back in the blue Oeresund ; of horses with yellow manes, 
rode by fair ladies; of gorgeous halls, with crystal lights, 
and pealing music executed by Moors, with silver armlets, and 
pearls in the ears. 

Gula saw it all. She saw the towers and the bridges, the 
brilliant cavaliers, and the fair damsels, with long trains. She 
saw the glass palaces, and heard drums and trumpets calling to 
festivity; then she saw herself on the arm of a beloved hus- 
band ; and as she lifted up her brow, and the night-wind cast 
withered leaves upon it, she thought she felt the weight of 
heavy gold chains and diadems. 

All her thoughts were engrossed in these speculations. In- 
expressibly happy, she sat by the side of her lover, and ob- 
served not the poor Mortuno, who, from a corner, mutely 
watched every smile and movement. At length she brought 
her guitar, at the request of Marstrand ; and sang so sweetly, 
and with such expressive grace, that, although he could not 
# understand the language, he perfectly comprehended the • leaning. 

u They are songs of love,” said he. 

“ They are the laments and prayers of a maiden expecting 
her lover,” she replied. 

Marstrand looked at Mortuno. He had bent forward, as if 
he heard something which greatly pleased him. His arms were 
crossed, his face was illuminated by the hearth-fire, and a 
smile, such as Marstrand had never before observed in him, 
played around his lips. Afraja, on the contrary, after his cus- 
tom, crouched down, and stared in the flames, which ga-ve a 
sharp and red appearance to his fierce, angular features. 

After some moments, Marstrand said, “ Now, Mortuno, how 
is it with you ? Will you not sing again the song which I 
heard yesterday, or have you composed another ?” 


4TG 


AFRAJA. 


With the same gentle, smiling face, Mortuno nodded to him ; 
then he stood up, took the three-stringed guitar from Gula’s 
hands and commenced a song, of which Marstrand long after- 
wards remembered one strophe. 

u Take the flower of the Kilpis,” he sang ; u ah ! I see well 
that it blooms for you. When the young birches are again 
green, my hand will not pluck it ; when the lambs cry and 
spring around their mothers, I shall no more hear them. Take 
the flower of the Kilpis, and press her to your heart. To no 
one would I give her but to you. What is man’s will is the 
will of God ! His voice speaks to me. Fly, white dove, fly 
over sea and clouds — my eyes will accompany you ; my heart 
will be with you.” 

At his last words, Afraja’s hoarse laugh was heard, as he 
rose up. He thrust his pipe in his belt, filled his goblet again, 
and offered another to his guest. 

“ Enough for to-day,” said he; “I offer you the sleeping 
draught. To-morrow, let us see if the white dove sits on your 
shoulder.” 

But it must indeed have been a strong drink which Marstrand 
had taken, for he felt his head become as heavy as lead, and 
he was hardly conscious that Gula yet held him by the arm ; % 
her tender adieu for the night sounded to him as if from a 
great distance. He laughed as he stumbled, and Mortuno 
supported him ; then he went with the two men, and they led 
him, as he thought, through the ravine, and up the steps to the 
tent, which was again erected on the Saita. He thought he 
saw the lamp burning, or was it a flaming torch which glim- 
mered before his eyes. Then it seemed to him as if he was 
mounted on the monstrous reindeer upon which Jubinal nightly 
rides around the earth. Suddenly he fell into a fathomless 
abyss, and was conscious of nothing more. 


AFRAJA. 


477 


CHAPTER XXI. 

In the middle of the night, several men stood around the 
stone of the Saita, talking together in a low tone. 

“We will, without doubt, break our necks, ” said one of 
them, who was Paul Petersen. “I wish Egede may break his 
first, and we may thus, probably, get off with the fracture of an 
arm or a leg.” 

“ Where is he ?” asked Olaf. 

“ He is climbing the rock down below there,” replied Paul, 
“ because his dog or the devil incites him to it, and shows him 
the way. There he comes. Is it you, Egede ?” 

“Yes, Herr,” whispered the Quane. “An important dis- 
covery. Steps lead down below there; underneath is a wide 
hollow, through which the wind whistles. The dog drew me 
by the line ; I followed him, and at length heard the noise of 
running water and rustling trees. Then he stood still and 
growled ; I turned round.” 

“It must be the valley that you have seen, Olaf,” said the 
secretary. “ It must lie behind the steep rocks. You said it 
is precisely there where Afraja has established himself with all 
his rabble. I will bet my head that princess Gula lies con- 
cealed below there.” 

Bjornarne, who was sitting on the stone altar, stood up and 
said, “Go on, for we are losing time.” 

“ My young friend,” said Paul, with a laugh, as he took hold 
of him, “ you will either yourself dash your brains out, or get 
it done by others. Stop a moment, and let us consider. It is 
possible that this is a secret entrance to the woody ravine, 
where we think that the old rascal keeps his stolen daughter; 
and it is also possible that we may find her; but it does not 
appear credible to me that she is sleeping there without being 
surrounded by dragons and witches, and other frightful crea- 


478 


APRAJA. 

tures ; were only the amiable Mortuno, with some other gallant 
gentlemen, lying at her threshold, we could certainly count 
upon seeing our hats or coats ruined by a couple of unbecoming 
bullet-holes.” 

“ Why have we come here, if we fear?” answered Bjornarne. 
u I will attempt it at every hazard.” 

After a brief consultation, it was resolved to make a closer 
examination, and when they had succeeded in reaching the 
ravine, they discovered that a passage led through the rocks. 
They soon distinguished what their guide had heard ; they stood 
at the mouth of the gorge, and below them the moaning of 
the wind through the trees, and the roar of the cascade and the 
brook, were distinctly audible. 

After another consultation, Olaf remained standing in a deep 
corner of the cavity, with his hand on his gun, and eyes and 
ears open on all sides. The others clambered yet further down, 
until they arrived at the bottom of the valley, and the brawling 
brook, where Egede's tracking dog did not seem to know where 
to begin properly; for he scented some hidden object both on 
the right and the left. 

The heavens were covered with whitish stripes of cloud, 
through which, in several places, the stars were to be seen; 
and through the midst of this soft veil of the firmament, lights 
of dazzling brilliancy flashed out, shone for a moment, and then 
disappeared. These eccentric flashes sometimes revealed the 
wooded declivities of the valley, together with the wall of rock, 
which appeared to close it up. Paul Petersen laughingly whis- 
pered, u The devil's fire is at least good enough to show us where 
we are. It must be a lovely little spot, and there must be their 
gammes.” 

They glided cautiously to the left along the brook ; and, as a 
brighter light gleamed over the valley, Paul exclaimed, “ What 
is that? It seems to me that I saw a hut, a house with win- 
dows. By heavens ! there it is again.” — The red glimmer fell 
upon the birch-covered walls, clearly exposing them to view, 


AFRAJA. 479 

and then ceased. It seemed as if a demoniac power wished to 
show the way to evil. 

The three men carefully followed the windings of the water. 
Egede held his dog fast, which uttered a light growl, then 
glided over the grass-plot, and stood still before the hut, in 
which not a sound was to be heard. 

“ Who can it be ?” muttered Paul. “No one !” 

“ Feel here, how high his hair rises,” said the Quane, laying 
his hand upon the neck and back of the dog. “Lapps are sleep- 
ing in it. — Afraja ! Mortuno ! I will awaken them.” 

He slowly drew a knife out of the leather sheath hanging at 
his left side, and listened. 

“ Fool !” said the secretary, “ Afraja sleeps in no wooden 
house; if any one is here, it is Hula. They have built the 
palace for this tender beauty.” 

At the same time, he held Bjornane fast, who had raised his 
hand to the door. “ Stop ! if you do not wish to lose all,” he 
continued, in a whisper. — “Here is the little lantern and 
the tinder-box ; strike a light, Egede ; you understand it 
best.” 

The Quane executed the order with great dexterity. In a 
moment, a light was struck, which was so well covered up, that 
only a few rays fell upon the door, which had neither bolt nor 
lock. It was noiselessly turned upon its hinges of birch, and 
Paul entered with the uplifted light in hand, closely followed 
by his companions. He opened the lantern sufficiently wide to 
light up the apartment. There was the hearth-stone, and there 
stood a table with all its furniture; he suddenly pointed in 
silence to a corner, where a bed of cushions and skins had 
been arranged, upon which a human being was soundly 
sleeping. The gleam of light fell upon dark, long, dishe- 
velled hair; the head rested upon one arm, so that the face 
could not be seen ; and the other arm lay extended upon 
the lynx-skin, and appeared to be of fine skin and well-formed. 
He could not recognise the person, but all doubt was soon re- 


480 


AFR A J A. 


moved; for Gula, probably disquieted by tbe light, or from 
some presentiment, turned in her bed and resumed her sleep. 

Upon her moving, Paul had entirely closed the lantern. 
After some minutes, he opened it again, and held it so that the 
light did not fall on Gula. He stood still when he saw Bjor- 
narne approach the bed, kneel down, support himself upon his 
hands, and regard the sleeper. 

Bjornarne was pale and care-worn ; but, at this moment, his 
face was glowing red with excitement, and his eyes beamed 
with joy and hope. There she lay, gently breathing, before 
him ; and, as his breath discomposed her, her lips smiled, and 
the black arched eyebrows lifted up, as if she perceived some- 
thing which excited her surprise. 

A tremor shot through the heart of Bjornarne. How beau- 
tiful she was ! Her little white teeth shone in all their bril- 
liancy — her brow was petulantly knit, and she appeared as in 
the fairest days of her life, when upon his return home she 
would spring from the corner to meet and surprise him. 
Agitated by these reminiscences, and distracted by his feelings, 
he seized the hand, which lay before him ; at the same time, 
Paul exclaimed in a suppressed but sufficiently loud voice, in 
which his smothered laugh was distinctly audible, u Kiss her 
awake, you loving fool, for we have no time to lose !” 

He accompanied these words with a rapid turn of the lantern, 
throwing its full light upon the helpless sleeper. 

The effect immediately followed. As if struck by an electric 
shock, Gula suddenly started up. Her hair flew back — her 
eye glanced upon Bjornarne, and the hut echoed with her 
affrighted and piercing cry. 

“ Stop her mouth !” exclaimed Petersen ; and Egede threw 
one of the coverlets over her head, held her down, and with 
his murderous hand, grasped at her throat. Before, however, 
Bjornarne could hold him back, he received from the other 
side such a powerful blow, that he fell headforemost to the 
earth, and a white kobold rose over him, who, with curious 


AFRA J A. 


481 


grunting, knocked his head about. It was G ula’s reindeer, which 
had sprung from its corner to assist its unfortunate mistress ; and, 
after the custom of these animals, butted against him and 
kicked him. 

Egede was terrified to such a degree, that he could not move 
a limb ; as soon, however, as he recognised his opponent, he 
plunged his knife into the ribs of the faithful creature, which 
immediately turned round, tottered, and fell down at the head 
of Gula’s bed. 

“Hear me, Gula!” said Bjornarne. “I beg you to hear 
me. Do not fear, it is I, Bjornarne, your friend. No one will 
harm you.” 

“ Blood ! Blood !” cried the poor maiden, looking upon the 
Quan e and the dying animal. 

“ Be still !” fiercely muttered Egede, “ or I will cut your 
throat.” 

“ Oh ! have pity !” exclaimed Gula upon her knees, uttering 
a piercing shriek, and calling “John! John!” as she endea- 
vored to liberate herself from Bjornarne. 

“Put an end to it,” said Petersen, coming forward, “or 
there will be an end with us. The ear of a Lapp can hear this 
cry for miles. Will you keep still, darling, or shall Egede lay 
his fingers upon your throat ? Draw the jacket on, quick ! 
The cloth about her mouth — her hands behind her back. 

Forward ! And if you make a noise Egede ! seize her 

by the arm, and hold your knife ready.” 

But Gula seemed to have lost her voice and all power of 
resistance. As soon as she observed the presence of the secre- 
tary, her blood ran cold. She trembled in every limb, and a 
cold perspiration covered her face. She cast an imploring look 
upon Bjornarne, but her cry for help to “John ! John !” had 
filled him with such hate and fury, that he motionlessly looked 
on while Paul and Egede carried out their plan. In a moment, 
the maiden was bound in the clothes, and her mouth sealed up 

Nothing moved without. Petersen listened on the outside; 
41 2 f 


482 


AFRA JA. 


and turned once more around the hut with the light. The dying 
reindeer made a last effort to raise himself up to follow his 
mistress ; but it was in vain. The rays of the lantern fell upon 
its soft, still eyes ; Paul jestingly whispered, “ Let every one 
take an example from this intelligent creature, how to die with 
grace.” While he was thus speaking, he examined some 
chests, the contents of which excited his surprise. In one of 
them were more than two dozen short guns, all new and in 
good condition. In the other, he found two small kegs of 
powder, and a number of bars of lead. The kegs bore the 
name of Marstrand ; after examining them for a moment, he 
called Egede to take them and throw them in the stream. He 
then went ahead, the Quane carrying the prisoner, and Bjor- 
narne following after. Olaf stood under the dark arch, and 
was advised of the successful issue of the expedition. He him- 
self had neither heard nor seen anything; he observed the 
pale and terrified face of G-ula with comparative indifference, as 
the secretary cast a light upon it. 

“ What shall we do with her ?” he asked. 

“ You will soon hear, my dear fellow,” replied Paul. “ At 
present, the chief thing is to get to our horses as soon as possi- 
ble. Did you conceal them securely, Egede, and can you find 
them again ?” 

“ Certainly, Herr,” said the Quane. “ Their feet are chained, 
and neither bear nor wolf will seek them.” 

“Then let us be gone ! We have full two hours to travel. 
The girl must be in the saddle by daybreak, for she has tender 
feet. Carry her up the steps.” 

Egede had no taste for this service. “ She can walk,” said 
he, rudely. 

Bjornarne handed him his gun, lifted the maiden on his own 
shoulders, and carried her up the steps to the Saita of Jubinal. 

Hence, the way led down the steep declivity to the lake at 
the bottom, which was to be waded; the wild, high plain 


AFRAJA. 


483 


stretched out, with swamps and thickets, intersected by innu- 
merable springs, and streams, and jagged ridges of rock. 

After a rest of a few minutes, Bjornarne again took the bur- 
den on his shoulders. Her gentle struggle was soon overcome. 
It seemed as if Gula endeavored to tear the ligament which 
bound her arms ; and as she was laid down on the stone of 
sacrifice, she was heard to exclaim, from beneath the thick 
cloth, “ Jubinal ! great Father, help ! help me l” 

u Ha ! ha !” laughed Paul, “ as J ohn cannot help, and Herr 
Jesus shows no disposition to aid, you now call upon Herr Ju- 
binal. Shame upon you, you little heathen ! Do not try to 
hold fast to the stone of sacrifice. Tear her away, Bjornarne. 
Whatever harm you may invoke upon us, Bjornarne wishes you 
nothing but love and kindness, and we laugh at your avenging 
Jubinal.” 

At this moment a crash was heard on the summit of the 
Kilpis, followed by a sullen roar; then came a gust of wind, 
howling through the crags and clefts of the mountain, and the 
lake beneath heaved with its agitated waters. 

“ Do not call the devil and the spirits to awake,” said Olaf. 

“ What a fool you are !” said Paul. u It was nothing but a 
stone plunging down from above into the water; or do you 
think Jubinal may have been awakened by this weeping girl, 
have raised himself on his pillow, and drawn his night-cap 
off ? Alas for the pious Klaus ! What will he say, when he 
hears that his convert, in whose fidelity he so firmly believed, 
has, in her extremity, worshipped the golden calf!” 

The steep declivity was descended without any accident, and 
then the march proceeded through lake and swamp, and the 
rugged country, as quietly as possible. Bjornarne did not let 
go of his beloved; he carried her for hours, with the in- 
domitable strength of a man accustomed to great exertion. At 
length a grey coloring spread over the sky, before which the 
darkness of the night gradually vanished. Single peaks and 
ridges rose out of the inhospitable waste, in turning around one 


A F R A J A . 


•484 

of which Paul Petersen descried the glowing red brow of the 
Kilpis, rising up through a mass of clouds. 

" There lies the Pitsasjaure,” he exclaimed; "and here- 
about, in the bottom, our horses must be hidden. You can 
now set down your precious burden, and rest from your fatigue; 
Egede will procure you a four-legged carrier.” 

But Egede did not execute the order. He stood still, and 
listened ; for his dog, which, up to this time, had followed in 
his steps, stretched his nose in the air, growled, and showed 
his teeth. 

" What does that mean ?” said Paul. " Is the devilish rab- 
ble on our track ? Away with you, behind the rock ! The 
horses, there, you ape. Look there, verily — no I do not de- 
ceive myself — Mortuno, as true as I live ! Come on, my dear 
Mortuno. By heavens ! He is alone ; I see no other. He is 
running like a lynx. We must take him, alive, if possible. 
Should he be uncivil, think then, Olaf, on the hole in your 
cap.” 

Paul Petersen stood upon an open space, behind which great 
blocks of stone were strewn around. An arm of the Snibotjok, 
which descended from the Jaure, wound through this labyrinth, 
rushing and roaring along its deep bed. A human figure was 
visible on the edge of this stream of the wilderness, which im- 
mediately disappeared again : soon after, there appeared in 
sight, on the opposite height, another, which was no other than 
Afraja’s nephew. He ran directly up to the secretary, who put 
himself in readiness to receive him ; but the Lapp suddenly 
came to a halt before him, as he endeavored to recover his 
breath. 

"How ?” cried Paul, "is it you, my sweet friend, that seeks 
us at this early hour of the morning ? Where have you left 
your cap, and how do your kommagers look ?” 

" Where arc your brothers ?” asked Mortuno. 

" Come here, I will show them to you,” said Paul. "Sit 
down by us ; our fire will warm you.” 


AFRAJA. 485 

“ Where have you left Gula ?” continued the Lapp, as he 
raised his gun. 

“ Has your darling run away from you, poor fellow ?” replied 
the secretary. “ I will help you to seek her.” 

“ False man, you have stolen her !” cried the Lapp. u Give 
her up. Where is she ?” 

“ Here, Mortuno, here. What a foolish fellow you are, and 
how fearfully you turn your eyes about ! Gula, herself, invited 
us ; she gave us information of her place of abode, for how else 
could we have found her out ? Her inmost wish is to be again 
with us, and to live with her benefactor, Helgestad, and her 
friend, Bjornarne. Why should you be so angry at it?” 

“ You lie !” exclaimed Mortuno. “ A cry awoke me ; I 
found Gula’s faithful animal, which you killed. Wherever you 
tread is blood, and wherever your eye looks the grass and flowers 
wither.” 

“ I have always said,” said Paul, laughing, as he slowly raised 
his gun and cocked it, “ that you are a poet ; you have promised 
me a song. I will have it now, my dear fellow, or I will teach 
you to sing another tune. Ho not stir, I beg you ; for as sure 
as you raise your arm, you will repent it. Heda, Egede, Olaf ! 
go to him, and give him your brotherly hands.” 

As he said this, Mortuno heard a piercing shriek. He stood 
facing the mouth of the gun of the cunning secretary, not 
doubting that the least movement would cause his death. At 
the cry, however, his eyes turned behind the stone. Ho did 
not see Gula, but it was her voice, and with the rapidity of the 
lightning he stooped down, made a spring towards the hiding- 
place, and wrested his weapon, in the same moment, from Paul, 
as the prisoner ran towards him from between the rocks. Paul 
discharged his gun, with a curse, at the Lapp, who would have 
escaped unharmed, had not a better-aimed shot been almost 
simultaneously fired. Mortuno fell down without an exclama- 
tion, and Gula threw herself upon him without attempting to 
41 * 


486 


AFRAJA. 


fly, which would have been in vain, for Bjornarne was behind 
her, and Olaf sprang forwards with his smoking gun. All 
stood still, and Paul himself, wicked and unfeeling as he was, 
uttered not an insolent word, when he saw the poor child kneel 
at the side of the unfortunate young man. She stroked back 
his hair, and discovered a couple of bloody streaks upon his 
forehead. As she looked into his fixed eyes, and laid her hand 
upon his head, she suddenly began to hope. The body made a 
struggle, and the feet quivered, as if he would stand up; it 
seemed as if she had recalled him to life and understanding. 

“ Oh ! awake,” she exclaimed to him ; “ do you hear me, 
Mortuno; do you hear me? Has my call, which once you 
could hear over lakes and mountains, no power on your ear ?” 

The dying man once again opened his eyes, and while they 
were intently fixed upon her, he fell back a corpse. 

“ Help him ! help him !” cried Gula, weeping, as she pressed 
the head to her bosom, and sought to lift up the body. 

“ Why did you let her cry and run ?” said Paul, in anger. 
“ But for that, we would have taken him alive.” 

“ She had entreated Bjornarne, with tears in her eyes, to 
unloosen her arms,” said Olaf; “and she raved like a madman 
when she heard the fellow's voice.” 

“ She will never hear him more,” muttered the secretary. 
“ You have repaid his shot through your hat full an inch 
deeper, and that will suffice him for all time to come. But 
really,” he continued, as he felt his side, “ I think the rascal 
has not only ruined your hat, but my coat and shirt.” 

He now perceived that Mortuno, as he ran, had fired a ball, 
which had grazed his left side ; for his fingers were bloody after 
feeling it. 

Olaf examined it, and said, “The skin is torn off with a 
considerable piece of flesh.” 

“ How can a man be so basely vindictive,” said Paul, in jest, 
“ to wish to lessen the rest of the little flesh I have ? But we 
must now put an end to this scene. Here comes Egede with 


AFRAJA. 487 

tlie horses ; observe his exulting smile, when he sees his ancient 
enemy lying still before him.” 

“ Here, our road divides,” he continued. “ I must go 
directly to Lyngenfiord, where the market is to be opened to- 
morrow, and you will draw off, with Egede and this weeping 
doll, to the left, to the high Jaure, which is already visible in 
the morning light. It is the Reisajaure : behind it lies the 
Quanerfiord. Egede is well known there, and has a kind of 
cousin or friend living at the Lachself, whose boat is at your 
disposition.” 

“ And then ?” asked Olaf. 

“ Then in God’s name, down the fiord to Loppen, where we 
will conceal the precious treasure for the present.” 

“ Will you not take her with you and give her to Helgestad ?” 

“ No,” said Paul, “ I have determined differently, and for 
good reasons. The market must first be over. Were we to 
carry Gula there, it would give rise to great uproar ; to-morrow 
morning every stone in Finnmark would speak of it. She must 
disappear until we have the old villain in our power ; and the 
more secretly we act, the sooner will it be accomplished.” 

“ And Bjornarne ?” 

“I would most willingly take him with me,” replied the 
secretary, “ but he will not go. You must go along with her, 
Olaf, for Egede would strangle the poor thing before she saw 
the Quananger. Bjornarne must, in his turn, guard you, lest 
the fiery eyes of the little witch may do you harm.” 

“ Listen,” replied Olaf, with a menacing look ; “I am not a 
fit subject for your jests. I shot the fellow down because I 
could not help it, and because he deserved it; but I can neither* 
make light of it, nor of the grief of the maiden. You are 
responsible for all the evil in this affair.” f 

“ If you cannot laugh, weep then, on my account ; I will 
take all the consequences upon myself. Where is the holy 
image which the old scoundrel sold you V* 

“In my pocket.” 


488 


AFRAJA. 


“ Good ! keep it securely, Jubinal will take excellent care of 
us. From the appearance of the sky, it will give us wind. You 
will return to Orenaes Gaard for my wedding. Ilda would other- 
wise miss the best dancer ; and the gallant younker, moreover, 
will not be there/ ' 

The Nordlander felt the point of this sarcastic remark, but 
he made no reply ; for at that moment, Egede burst into a dia- 
bplical laugh, and twisted his eyes about, so that nothing but 
the white could be seen. 

He stood before the dead body, shaking his fist, leaping, and 
laughing like an insane person, and uttering volleys of reproachful 
expressions which Mortuno no longer heard. Gula heard them, 
however, as she was praying and weeping on her knees, and she 
sprang up and advanced before the corpse. 

“ Shameless man \” she said, u dare you look on him ? As 
long as he lived, you feared him, and he despised and derided 
you. Go and leave this dead body, to which you must answer 
before the judgment-seat of God !” 

The dignity and severity of her rebuke was so startling, that 
the Quane, although he shook his fist and gnashed his teeth, 
shrank back in terror; for the thought of the judgment had, 
at least, produced a momentary impression on him. 

“ Bravo, little moralist \” exclaimed Paul ; u old Klaus could 
not have done better. Retire, Egede, you have received enough, 
and you, Bjornarne, seat the princess on the best horse, and 
depart ; or will you accompany me, and consign her to the care 
of Olaf ?” 

“ I, myself, and none other, will take charge of her : tell my 
father what you choose,” replied Bjornarne. 

Paul nodded to him, and said; “ Forwards, then ! Take her 
away, and be happy !” 

11 Whither ?” asked Gula, drawing back ; and as she received 
no answer, she continued ; “ Who gave you the right to drag 
me off by force ? What have I done ? Where is the law or 


AFRAJA. 


489 


authority ? You surprised me, like robbers, in my sleep, and 
you have shed blood. Answer, you who are to be a judge. 
Shame upon you, and upon all of you, to bind and maltreat a 
helpless woman.” 

“ Charming \” laughed the secretary, “old Klaus was right; 
she has something of her father’s spirit. We will answer your 
inquiries on another occasion; be satisfied now, and go with 
Bjornarne.” 

“ If you persist in your violence,” said Gula, “ carry me to 
Helgestad and Ilda. I will go there, and nowhere else. If I 
conpnitted a fault in abandoning his house, I will declare the 
cause which induced me to it. I was born free, and no one 
has any right over me. You are all subjects of the king, and 
the laws protect me also. Severe orders, Paul Petersen, against 
your arbitrary conduct, have lately arrived. Bo not suppose 
that I will remain silent. I will find friends to assist me.” 

“ The younker of Balsfiord !” cried Paul. 

“ Would that he were here !” answered the unhappy maiden, 
as she turned her burning eyes on all sides ; “ you would trem- 
ble at the sound of his footstep. But no,” she continued, “ no ! 
You would, with your cruel helpers, lay him by the side of 
Mortuno there, and then laugh, as you do now. God in heaven 
preserve him ! Preserve him !” 

Gula acted as if she could call Marstrand to her aid from 
the air and mountains. 

“ Charm him hither, you wicked witch ; we will receive him 
properly. But I smell no brimstone, and I see nothing.” 

“One Being, at least, sees and hears you,” replied Gula; 
“ and he will find you sooner than you think, wretched man !” 

“ Jubinal, or your fiery devil, Pekel, or you yourself, little 
snake.” 

“ Almighty Father of all things !” said the maiden, as she 
fell upon her knees, and folding her hands, lifted her eyes to 
heaven, “ do not permit him to scoff- at your sacred name. 


490 


A FR A J A . 


Protect me, help me, punish him ! Show him that you cannot 
he mocked with impunity.” 

“ The devil !” exclaimed Petersen ; “ why are you standing 
there, listening to the idle prattler ! I give you permission to 
curse me as much as you please. Begin now, for it is daylight. 
Seize her, Egede, if Bjornarne will not do it. To horse with 
her, and stop her mouth !” 

Bjornarne pushed aside the arm of the Quane, and took 
Gula’s hand. He appeared downcast and melancholy, and his 
eyes were timid and unsettled in expression. “ Come, dear 
Gula, come with me,” he said, in a gentle tone. “ I will*not 
abandon you ; you have nothing to fear.” 

“Oh ! Bjornarne !” she answered, “is it then possible that 
you are with these men ? Have pity on my misery; carry me 
to my father; let me see my father. Dear Bjornarne! dear, 
dear Bjornarne !” 

She looked beseechingly at him, but he stood speechless and 
pale. Paul answered in his place, and said, “ Go with him ; 
he carries you to Paradise, and will sit with you under the 
apple-tree.” 

“I cannot carry you to your father, Gula,” said Bjornarne. 
“ I have sworn it.” 

“ Sworn, Bjornarne ? Sworn to do evil ?” 

“ I cannot do otherwise,” he murmured. “ You shall hear 
all ; take consolation, and believe me.” 

“ And if he may not console you, we will then send you the 
younker Marstrand,” said Paul. 

“If he knew it,” she exclaimed, he would stand by me. 
How base and wicked you all are ! John ! John ! Help !” 

“You have lost your senses,” cried Petersen. “Are you a 
man, Bjornarne ?” 

! Bjornarne’s face was now glowing with fury. He lifted up 
the light body as a feather, as if he would dash it to pieces 
against the jagged rock. But, in the next moment, he placed 


AFIt AJA. 


491 


Gula on tlie saddle, and, seizing the rein, he ran with the horse 
through the rock-strewn fjeld to the Reisajaure. 

Egede sprang forward with his dog to seek the best road, 
followed by Olaf ; and, when they were some distance in ad- 
vance, Paul mounted the other animal, and patted its neck in 
his gratification. “ We are at last rid of her, and now carry me 
to my mistress, old Nic, in time for a sweet welcome this even- 
ing.” He cast a glance at the corpse, before which the horse 
startled. “ You are a fool, Nic ) a dead Lapp does not bite ; 
he is worth just as much as a dead Norman. Love, and obtain 
what we desire, that is the aim of life. And now I have them, 
— Helgestad’s money, Afraja, the miserable Dane, and all. I 
have them all in my fingers ) and, by J ubinal and Pekel, no 
power shall open them !” 

lie listened, for it seemed to him that he heard a distant 
cry ; then, he urged the beast on ; and, as it was young and 
active, it rapidly made its way across the rocks and thickets of 
the fjeld, until the Snibotjok was reached, when his rider 
urged him into a full gallop. 


CHAPTER XXII. 

When Marstrand awoke from his unconsciousness and opened 
his eyes, he gradually became convinced that he was in a high 
and spacious chamber, the extent of which was lost in the dis- 
tance. A singular jagged and dark vault hung over him, and 
a red light occasionally burst through the darkness ; but nothing 
broke the voiceless silence. 

After some reflection, Marstrand recollected what had hap- 
pened to him ; but this was not the tent at the Saita stone, nor 
Gula’s hut, the valley nor the woods. He sat on the ground 


492 


AFR A.T A. 


against the corner of a pillar of rock, a couple of fir branches 
were burning in a cleft, and before him crouched a figure, which 
he easily recognised as that of Afraja. The oppressive drowsi- 
ness left him, and the more he collected his thoughts, the more 
was he convinced that he was in a great cavern. At the same 
time, he remembered what he had frequently heard of such 
caves, and he gazed in astonishment on all sides. His unsatis- 
fied looks at last rested on his silent companion, and he said : 

“ Is it you, Afraja ?” 

u Yes,” was the reply. 

u And what is this ? Where are we ? In a cave ?” 

“ You say so,” responded the old man. 

11 Why have I been brought hither ?” 

u Jubinal’s messengers brought you, at his command. 
Arise, and follow me. Speak not, ask not, but behold — and 
hear.” 

He took the burning torch from the cleft, and went ahead. 
The softest whisper re-echoed with ten-fold force from the vault, 
and the torch lit up the clefts and passages, causing the adjacent 
sides to glow as if set with numberless stars and diamonds. 
Stalactites descended from the yellow roof, forming the most 
fantastic shapes ; as Afraja, at a point where two natural pas- 
sages divided, entered one leading outwardly, his companion 
could not suppress his astonishment. 

It seemed to him as if he had been introduced into the most 
brilliant jeweller’s shop in the world. His eyes were dazzled 
by the sparkling light, which was nothing else than genuine, 
solid metal — pure, crystalline silver ! He had read in tales, of 
grottoes, where all was silver, where grew trees and flowers of 
silver, and where silver moss covered the earth ; but he now 
saw the wonderful spectacle before him. Leaves and tendrils 
hung down from the roof, intermingled with flowers and 
branches. 

Immense riches were to be gathered here without any trouble. 
This deformed old man possessed more than had ever been 


AFRA J A. 


493 


stowed away in t-lie treasure-vaults of a king, and yet of 
what value was it to this houseless wanderer of the desert? 
Afraja lowered his torch and silently exposed to view a row of 
large pots and old chests, standing within a recess of the vault. 
They were filled with large pieces of money, green with damp- 
ness. This must be the treasure accumulated by his ancestors ; 
from these old pots he must have procured the specie thalers for 
the Balsfiord, without any perceptible diminution. He looked 
at Marstrand without uttering a word, showing by his exulting 
laugh that he was satisfied with the impression produced. 

“It is not a dream !” said Marstrand, striking his forehead; 
“ 1 actually see it. These are my hands and this my head. 
Could you produce all this by magic? Is it imaginary or real?” 

“ Convince yourself,” replied the old chief, as he kicked 
against one of the chests. “ Take what you please and examine 
it in the sun-light.” He tore off one of the twigs from the 
roof and laid it in Marstrand' s hand. “ What you see,” he 
continued, “ is not the best I know of. In Enare Traesk, there 
are larger caves than this, traversed in every part by veins of 
silver ; and you shall have all, all shall be yours. You have 
seen what I have shown to no other man. I have brought you 
here, that you might be satisfied that I have the means to 
accomplish my undertaking. Help me; you are bold and I love 
you. I will be more grateful to you than your own offspring.” 

“ What I see is wonderful !” exclaimed Marstrand. “ I am 
astonished beyond comprehension ; were, however, all the silver 
of the earth here collected together and offered to me, I would 
refuse it, rather than do what you wish me.” 

“Will you not?” asked the Lapp, as he fixed his lowering 
eyes upon him. 

“ I cannot commit a crime,” replied Marstrand. 

“No one will punish you,” whispered Afraja. 

“ But my conscience ! I am a man, a Christian ! I have 
sworn to help you in all proper things. I will go to Trondheim, 
Copenhagen, and will prostrate myself at the feet of the king, 
42 


494 


AFRAJA. 


and tell the story of your wrongs, and what the power of trutli 
cannot effect, will be obtained by the influence of your silver. 
Desist, Afraja, or you will ruin yourself, and all who depend 
on you. You are wise, and you must act wisely.” 

The old man gazed upon him with a crafty and incredulous 
stare. He did not seem to comprehend how Marstrand could 
refuse him, after this unlimited proffer of treasure. He eyed 
him closely, and raised the torch on high, while he again whis- 
pered his tempting propositions. 

“ I will give you all. All that I possess and know shall bo 
yours. Plow can you help yourself? You must be ruined. 
You will be mighty before them ; you will take vengeance on 
your enemies; they hate and betray you, young man. Will 
you suffer yourself to be trodden under foot? Are you a man? 
You counsel me to wisdom — be wise yourself. Will you not? 
And Gula — do you think of Gula ?” 

“ No ! no !” exclaimed Marstrand, in a voice which was tripli- 
cated by the echo ; “ you shall not have me, even for Gula’s 
sake !” 

Afraja angrily shook his head. In the red glow of his 
torch, he looked like one of those wicked, necromantic dwarfs 
who once dwelt in similar caves and clefts in the north. Pro- 
bably he was whispering to himself a magic spell, while he 
turned his flashing eyes upon the refractory Dane, who shud- 
dered with secret terror. 

“Let us see,” said Marstrand; “I will do all that I can.” 

“ Will you betray me ?” cried Afraja. 

“Never; I am not a traitor.” 

“Have I not done you good, and are you not a Norman ?” 

“ I hope to prove to you, that I am grateful.” 

“ You shall not go !” shouted the Lapp. 

Marstrand stood still. The wild and threatening face of the 
chief inspired him with apprehensions of evil. “ What will you 
do?” he asked, as he grasped him by the arm. 

But Afraja sprang back, with youthful agility; and as he 


* 


AFRAJA. 


495 


waved the torch above his head, he gave vent to a diabolical 
laugh, rushed out of the passage into the middle of the cave, 
and all was suddenly involved in profound darkness and silence. 
After a few tottering steps forward, Marstrand gave up all at- 
tempt to follow. He groped along to the walls of the cavern, 
and laid his hand upon one of the projecting crystals. The 
thought suggested itself to him, that he might miserably perish 
here, in the midst of treasures; but he kept silent, and re- 
pressed his rising sense of despair ; for it did not appear credi- 
ble, that Afraja would use his power so cruelly. Nowhere was 
a ray of light visible, or a cleft in the rock, through which 
might be seen a star of hope, or any means of discovering the 
way out. He could form no idea of where he was, whether far 
from, or near to, the Kilpis ; whether in the bowels of that 
sacred mountain, or in the depths of a fjeld. His reflections 
suggested no explanation, and not a whisper was to be heard. 
With increasing horror, he imagined that Afraja had withdrawn 
from the cave. 

11 1 do not know if you hear me,” he, at length, said, in as 
firm a tone as he could ; u but I hope so, for the sake of your 
honor. I came here as your guest; and even those who hate 
and despise your race, praise your hospitality and honesty. 
What a shame it would be, if you had enticed me here to de- 
stroy me ! You wish to intimidate me, but you will not suc- 
ceed ; I would a thousand times rather perish, than peril the 
salvation of my soul. I cannot, and dare not. Remember that 
this deed will follow you ; and what will Gula say, when you 
stand before her ? What will you answer, when she asks after 
me ?” 

He ceased, and some time elapsed without hearing a sound. 
The abandoned man dared not move from the place where he 
was standing. He did not know whether he might not, at the 
next step, plunge into an abyss; or in seeking an outlet, whe- 
ther he might not lose himself in these subterranean halls, 
which appeared to be of immeasurable extent. The more he 


496 


AFRAJA. 


reflected, the less he could understand how he had got there; 
so much only was certain, that Afraja must have given him 
some deeply-intoxicating drink, and that he had profited by his 
unconsciousness to carry him to this secluded place. Probably 
he was close by the valley ; probably in G ula’s neighborhood ; 
and she could not hear his call. Possessed by this idea, he 
suddenly shouted her name with all his might, and it was re- 
peated by the echoes. 

“ Come to me, my Gula, come to me ! Oh ! do you not 
hear me ? You are the only one who would not forsake or 
betray me !" 

“ Come \” said Afraja, as he shook him by the arm. He 
must have been standing close to him. 

This single word poured another stream of life into Mar- 
strand’s veins. At this moment he felt all the horror of his 
forsaken condition, and he seized the faithless Lapp with a 
feverish grasp. 

“You call upon Gula,” said the old man. “ I will bring 
you to her. May she soften your heart, stubborn man, which 
is harder than the iron mountain in Enare Traesk.” 

It would have been superfluous to reply. Marstrand sur- 
rendered himself to the guidance of his leader, who strode 
rapidly forward through the darkness, without making any 
effort to procure a light. He doubtless had his reasons for 
this, and the distrustful prisoner divined them. Afraja wished 
to conceal from him all possible knowledge of the entrance to 
the cave. He followed patiently, and suppressed inquiries and 
reproaches; for what could these have availed him, when a 
stab would have sufficed to get rid of him forever. 

The way was followed for a long time in silence by both, to 
judge from which the cavern must have had a great extent. 
Sometimes there appeared to be spacious halls ; and then again 
narrow passages. The Dane several times struck his head 
against the low roof ; and then again, he entered places where 
the arch of the rock was many feet higher. Sometimes ho 


AFRAJA. 


497 


groped outwards; and then he descended — but finally he 
thought he perceived that the canning Lapp often led him the 
same way, to bewilder him the more ; and it was only when he 
deemed he had done enough for this purpose, that he conducted 
him through a narrow side opening, in which Marstrand sud- 
denly felt a strong draught of air. Soon afterwards he saw a 
star above him. He breathed freely, for he was again in the 
open air. The darkness of the night was yet intense. On 
both sides rose up smooth precipices of rock, and the bottom 
of the ravine, which continually declined, formed the bed of a 
stream, the roar of which, although it was not visible, could be 
distinctly heard. They were at last obliged to descend into 
this channel, and wade through it, until Afraja turned into 
another cleft, and reached one of the mossy and swampy fjelds 
through high rocks, thickets, and deep little valleys. Here 
the grey of the morning was breaking through the darkness ; 
but Marstrand endeavored in vain to guess where he was. The 
fjeld sank again into the steep bed of a mountain stream, and 
when another ascent was gained, the thick fog prevented any- 
thing from being seen. It was day, yet this veil of cloud shut 
out the light, as if Jubinal had sent it to blind their eyes. 
Marstrand did not know whence he had come, or whither he 
was going ; and he had already opened his lips to ask a ques- 
tion, as one of these phenomena took place, which are fre- 
quently witnessed in the north. The fog lifted itself up and 
disappeared as quickly as the rising of a stage-curtain. The 
wind scattered it over the firmament, and the high summit of 
the mountains, with the crimsoned brow of the Kilpis, burst full 
into view. 

Marstrand was now again entered upon the waste ; but he 
could not discern in what direction lay the caves from which he 
had so lately issued. Afraja had led him through such a 
devious way, and the fog and darkness had been so intense, 
that all his speculations as to the situation of the silver-mines 
were completely baffled. The old chief conducted him in silence 
42* 2 G 


498 


AFR A JA. 


towards the Kilpis, which was yet several hours distant, when 
he suddenly came to a halt, and, leaning on his staff, listened, 
as if to sounds in the distance. 

“ Whither must I follow you ?” asked Marstrand. 

“ To her who is expecting you. Did you hear nothing ?” 

“No,” said Marstrand. 

“It was a cry,” muttered Afraja. “Yet again! Heard 
you nothing then ?” 

“It sounded like a shot; hut the faind is against us. It may 
he a mistake.” 

One of the great brown-colored and white-hreasted moven, 
which fly from the fiords to the sea, flew screaming against the 
wind, circled round their heads, and rose higher and higher in 
the air, until, with a wild and mournful cry, it went off in the 
same direction from which it had come. The Lapp looked after 
it for some time, and then said, “ Who sends you ? Are you 
a messenger of Ayra, the dreadful God, who holds the threads 
of life in his hand, or was it a soul bringing me a farewell 
greeting ?” 

Marstrand was not surprised at these questions. He had 
heard of the superstition of the Lapps, according to which, the 
soul of a lonely dying man enters into the body of an animal, to 
announce his death to his relatives, before JubinaFs heaven is 
opened to it; but he reluctantly followed Afraja, when, instead 
of proceeding towards the Kilpis, he pursued the flight of the 
bird ; and without heeding his call, took his way through a 
steep, rising f jeld, full of broken masses of rock. The Lapps are 
all active and persevering pedestrians, and they easily climb 
the sharpest heights. Marstrand had frequently seen the supe- 
rior power of endurance of these apparently weak men over the 
coast-people ; and he now found that the old man was more ac- 
tive and agile than he himself. He felt exhausted from the ad- 
ventures of the night, and the many hours of wandering, and 
he was both hungry and thirsty; while Afraja’s strength, on 
the contrary, appeared to have redoubled. 


APR A J A. 


499 


A fall hour had elapsed. Afraja had attained a high pro- 
jecting platform, and disappeared on the heights of the fjeld, 
leaving his tired companion to pick his way as well as he could. 
When he finally stood above, nothing was to be seen. Huge 
fragments of rock, which, thousands of years before, had been 
scattered there by some natural cause, or by Pekel’s giants, 
covered this lofty mountain-plain. Dark, weather-beaten masses 
rose up from the swamp, or lay piled upon each other in con- 
fused heaps, and were covered over with pale green grass, moss 
and gnarled roots. 

When Marstrand had, for some time, in vain looked around, 
and called for his companion, he thought he perceived the im- 
press of his footsteps in the soft ground. He followed these, 
until they brought him to a small open space, in the midst of 
which Afraja was seated, contemplating a human figure which 
lay stretched out before him. It was the spot where Mortuno 
had expired, a short time before; Marstrand stood upon the 
same point where Paul Petersen had been, less than an hour 
before. 

When he looked upon the bloody face of the dead, he uttered 
a cry of horror. Who could have killed him ? Who had done 
this deed ? How came Mortun^. there ? His skull was shat- 
tered, his blood formed a pool, and the trodden earth around 
showed that the struggle and death must have taken place on 
that spot. 

A presentiment suggested itself to him ; but he dared not 
speak of it. Afraja' s countenance was serious and dignified ; 
his grief must be great, but yet he endured it. He seemed 
to be buried in thought, as he regarded the corpse, until, at 
length, after the custom of his people, he broke into a death- 
wail in praise of the departed. 

“Here you lie,” said he; “and but yesterday I saw you 
bounding as lightly and joyously over the fjeld, as a young stag 
at dawn. Who had feet and eyes like you, or a heart so full 
of courage and truth ? Wherefore have you left us, Mortuno, 


500 


AFRAJA. 


and why did not Jubinal protect you ? Woe to my old head ! 
Woe to your wounds ! Let him who has tears, weep over you ; 
even your animals themselves will shed tears ; only your mur- 
derers will rejoice. Fly, soul, fly to the arms of Jubinal; he 
will lead you to ever-blooming gardens, where his daughters 
will surround you; but care not — they who slew you will be 
slain ; snakes shall consume their bodies, and their souls shall 
be frozen to ice.” 

“ Of whom are you thinking ? Who may it be ?” asked Mar- 
strand. 

Afraja arose, and pointed to several foot-tracks. “Look,” 
said he ; “here were men who wore thick soles on their boots; 
and here are the hoof-prints of horses. There were two horses, 
and four men.” He stooped down, and examined them atten- 
tively again, in silence, and then turned to the rock, and re- 
garded the blood-stains upon it. “ Mortuno shot,” he said ; 
“ but his head was heavy.” From the position of the corpse, 
it appeared to him to be certain that the fatal ball had come 
from another side. 

He now ran to the rock, from behind which Olaf had fired, 
and picked up something that lay in the corner. It was a 
small, blue handkerchief, en^roidered with red threads, the 
ownership of which he immediately recognised. The staff fell 
from his grasp, as he held it up before him, incredulous as to 
the reality of what his eyes looked upon. 

Hogs barked upon the Elf, and men, in brown frocks, sprang 
out of the depths of the ravine through which it flowed. The 
dogs howled loudly, as they leaped towards the old chief, as if 
to announce something evil ; and their masters looked wild and 
horror-struck. 

“ Good father !” cried the foremost, “ what has happened ? 
Your gamme is empty; robbers have carried off your daughter; 
and the white beast, which was the joy of Gula, has been killed 
with a knife ! Oh ! woe ! woe ! What shall we do ?” 

Afraja summoned up his spirits. In impotent fury, he shook 


AFR A J A. 


501 


his clinched fists at the heavens. Fury and despair were de- 
picted on his face ; his eyes were distended, and red with rage ; 
his lips trembled, and he could not speak. “ Cursed be you 
all!” he, at last, shrieked. “Cursed in your heaven, and on 
your throne of clouds ! If you betray your descendants, Jubi- 
nal, help me, then, you who live in the subterranean fires !” 
lie uttered a wild cry, fell on his face, and convulsively grasped 
the stones and earth with his hands. 

Marstrand lifted the old man up ; but he appeared to be in 
an almost insensible condition, and he made no reply to the re- 
marks addressed to him. His attendants carried him to the 
Kilpis; while Marstrand, and some of the Lapps, with their 
dogs, pursued the tracks of the robbers. 


CHAPTER XXIII. 

Two days later, the great atftumn market, at that time 
the most considerable in the country, was holden at the 
church of Lyngen. Multitudes of the small cultivators, 
Quanes, agricultural Lapps, colonists, and fishermen came from 
all the sounds, and fiords, and islands, as far as Sorven, to make 
their winter purchases in part with the traders ; but more with 
the fjeld Lapps, who descended from their mountains with great 
herds of fat reindeer, with furs, hides, otter-skin caps, koui- 
magers, pockets, girdles, and strong leather cords. They car- 
ried on, also, an active barter; selling their articles for cash, or 
trafficking them for powder and lead, pieces of linen and woollen 
coverlets, needles, and thread, and twine, steel and iron wares 
of all kinds, but more particularly for flour and brandy, to sup- 
ply their winter encampment. The autumn market was the 


502 


A F R A J A . 


chief epoch of the year, and the source of constant anxiety and 
hope. Every effort was made to hoard up and economise, in 
order to be able to buy and sell ; the Lapps were the most im- 
portant frequenters of these markets, and thence the designa- 
tion of Lappish markets, which they bore ; at that time, when 
this unfortunate people numbered eighty thousand heads, the 
commerce was yet greater than it is now, when they scarcely 
reach the sixth part of that number. 

The Lapland herd proprietors came with their wives and 
families; and the markets were not devoted exclusively to 
trade, but they were also holidays, celebrated with feasting and 
dancing. They were also occasions for the administration of 
justice, and the collection of taxes, and the adjustment of old 
feuds. The Yoigt of Tromsoe had erected his throne in the 
middle of the market, surrounded by his lensmen and bailiffs ; 
the sworn secretary, his nephew, declared the law in the name 
of the king, with the great statute-book alongside of him, to- 
gether with piles of acts, papers, and other legal instruments, 
which excited no little astonishment and awe. The Lapp mar- 
ket was no less advantageous for both these persons, than for 
the traders ; for it gave rise to abundance of litigation, which 
was a favorite passion with the Lapps, colonists, and Quanes. 
The Lapps had always complaints to prefer of encroachments on 
pasture-grounds, and the people *of the Gaard accusations of 
malicious mischief ; but all brought money into the pockets of 
the judge, whose decisions were always suitably paid for. 

On this occasion, the market presented a singular appearance. 
Enough Lapps had repaired to it, but there were comparatively 
few women and children ; and they had brought a much less 
number of fat reindeer, and other things, with them than usual. 
With their long, iron-pointed staffs, and occasionally with short 
guns saucily thrown over the shoulders, they moved up and 
down, or gathered in squads, and anxiously peered around, as 
if they expected something strange. The northern traders had 
put up tents before their small church-houses, in which the 


A F R A J A . 


503 


whole wealth of their goods was temptingly displayed ; hut 
there was little business transacted. The principal traders were 
from Tromsoe and the fiords, among whom was Helgestad. The 
waters of the bay were covered with yachts and great boats. 
No one rightly knew what was the true cause of this bad mar- 
ket ; but the dissatisfaction was universal. 

Some attributed it to the weather; for a fearful storm, which 
had raged in the night, had thrown down Helgestad’s tent, and 
torn it to pieces. Heavy clouds yet drove over the sky, and 
from time to time sent down showers of rain ; and the wind 
howled around the tower and little square, obscuring the glory 
of the market. The wives and daughters of the traders, with 
the voigts, pastors and sorenskrivers, were accustomed to pro- 
menade about in their best attire ; and it was, in truth, a ren- 
dezvous for the whole aristocracy of the north, when the ladies 
expected and received elegant gifts, the value of which was in 
proportion to the success of the market. But few had come, on 
this occasion, on account of the weather; and those who were 
on the ground, sat in their little houses, complaining of the 
cold and wind. 

The wives and maidens of the Lapps could, indeed, better 
endure such weather ; and some other reason must be assigned 
for their absence from a scene, where they were accustomed to 
invite their husbands and fathers to make liberal purchases for 
their sakes. Many were of the opinion, that it was feared in 
the gammes that the thefts, and other crimes, laid to the 
charge of the Lapps, would be severely punished at the market, 
and they had, therefore, remained at home. No one, however, 
knew what was true or false : on the other hand, there was a 
considerable number of young men, of good blood and family, 
at the market, who had not frequented it before ; friends and 
acquaintances of the secretary, from Tromsoe, and of the 
family of Helgestad; they were seen but little in the mar- 
ket-shops, their time being devoted to the young ladies in 
their tents. 


504 


AFR A J A. 


A numerous society had gathered in the little house of Hel- 
gestad, where, despite the discomforts of the weather, a general 
cheerfulness prevailed. The daughters of the neighbors and 
of the pastor, Heinrich Sture, had assembled around Ilda and 
Hannah ; the pastor himself sat in a corner, with a full glass, 
awaiting patiently the hour when the tenth part of the market- 
tax, which he silently counted over, should be paid him. A 
half-dozen of the sons and cousins of the landed proprietors 
entertained the maidens, and from time to time others came in, 
laughing and jesting, and related incidents of the market, or 
complained of the impudence of the Lapps, who asked double 
for their animals over the preceding year, and stood before the 
shops of the traders, looking as if they would devour them, at 
the same time scarcely asking after the prices. Brandy was 
usually the most efficient means to inspire them with a desire 
for buying. Every transaction began with offering a full glass 
of it to the Lapp ; if he did not find the price acceptable, a 
second glass was given him ; and a third generally made him 
perfectly pliant. There were indeed some crafty fellows who 
would not get drunk until the trade was concluded and the 
species was placed in their belts. As theft was almost an en- 
tirely unknown vice among their race, they felt sure that nothing 
would be taken from them, even in the most senseless state of 
intoxication. This time, however, the full glass was everywhere 
refused, and the small colonists, who came forward with full 
bottles, were turned back and laughed at. All kinds of abuse 
were showered upon the Lappish rabble, for not drinking and 
suffering themselves to be swindled. 

“It is a shame l” exclaimed one of the traders, who had just 
entered; “ such a day has never before been seen here. It is a 
market in which no shout, no laugh, no merriment, and no 
drunkenness is to be heard or seen. Last year, they lay there 
at the church in whole rows. They sat in a circle, bellowed 
until they fell down and were carried out, and many a one of 
the poor islanders and colonists bought a fat beast for a species, 


AFRA.TA. 


505 


a fur for tlie half, a cap for eight shillings, and a pair of excel- 
lent kommagers for a fresh dram. To-day, the rascals stand 
grinning at us, devour our wares with their eyes, as if they 
would run off with them, and will sell nothing but for cash, and 
at a high price. I cannot blame the men, who, in their fury, 
fell upon a couple of the scoffing scamps, and gave them a 
regular thrashing.” 

Helgestad entered at this moment, but the face of the great 
fierce man was more expressive of scorn than anger. “ It is well 
calculated, but it will not help us. They are obdurate creatures, 
who cannot be rendered better by cudgelling. We must have 
patience with them; they will come to their senses before 
night. Go out now, maidens,” he continued, as he turned to 
the society. “ Help to enliven the market, and accompany Ilda, 
who expects Paul Petersen. He will buy her the most elegant 
marriage gift he can find, and you must assist her to look for the 
best feather cloaks. You may, perhaps, meet with the merry 
Mortuno, who always brings some good things.” — He laid one 
of his huge hands on Hannah’s shoulder, and smiled. — “ You 
are anxious in mind,” he said, “ because your sweet-heart has not 
arrived. Comfort yourself, maiden, for he will not be long 
absent. It is yet right and proper that you should be compen- 
sated, and I beg of you to accept a present from me. Select 
whatever you desire, the most precious you can find, and the 
money shall be at your disposition. You are Niels Helgestad’s 
daughter-in-law, and Ilda herself must yield to you.” 

Great was the astonishment, that the crafty trader, in 
spite of the bad market, should voluntarily incur such great 
expenditures. But he was indeed the richest in the country, 
and Fandrem’s daughter brought full chests to his already 
wealthy house. The young maidens envied their friend the 
privilege of being able to select at will the choicest and dearest 
articles ; and as the weather had become better, they accom- 
panied her in the search. 

Ilelgestad remained standing at the door, and from there 

43 


506 


A F R A J A . 


looked upon his store-tent, where his agents in vain called for 
purchasers. He paced to and fro, stamping violently ; hut he 
repressed his impatience until Paul Petersen entered with a 
happy smile and inquiries after Ilda. 

“They have just gone out to seek you,” said Helgestad. 
“Wait a moment, Paul. I have some apprehension as to the 
result; would that Bjornarne were here, and that they only 
had the infernal scoundrel safely secured ! I doubt if he will 
run into your net.” 

“ Dismiss your doubts,” replied the secretary. “ Wherefore 
do the Lapps wait and put their heads together? They are 
expecting him, with the idea that they can commence the 
dance with his arrival. From what I have learned, it is 
evident that they have come from all sides, to lay their com- 
plaints before the voigt. Afraja and Mortuno, together with 
their assistants, have labored for weeks in the gammes to set 
the rabble in motion. You see what has been the effect. The 
women and old men have been left at home, and some two 
thousand lusty fellows are moving about here ; many of them 
would wring our necks with pleasure, and plunder the market. 
The only reason why they do not buy, as true as I live, is 
because they believe, in some hours, to be able to break up the 
whole market. It would be no joke if Mortuno were to come 
with his band, and especially if there were only a couple of 
courageous, death-despising men among them.” 

“ You cannot convince me that the Lapps would assail us in 
open market.” 

“ But circumstances have changed,” said Petersen. “ Mor- 
tuno will neither shoot the voigt from his seat, nor Niels 
Helgestad from his bales of merchandise. No other dare 
attempt it.” 

“ Have you brought the maiden to Maursund ?” 

“ She has been secured.” 

“The nights were stormy,” said Helgestad. “Did no 
mishap occur?” 


AFRAJA. 


&>7 


u How could any happen ? We have succeeded in ouy plans, 
and our measures are devised to obviate all fear. Leav^ all to 
me. As soon as we have the bird, it shall be put in H good 
cage. There lies the craft which will carry him to Tromsue ; 
with a sign from me, he will be placed on board. Go, father- 
in-law, and look after your business. When we get hold of the 
old rascal, we will extort silver from him, and I shall then have 
some other propositions to make to you.” 

“Nuh !” said Helgestad, “are you sincere?” 

“ As sincere as a Dane,” replied Paul ; “ but there is Ilda. 
I will go to her; see how her eyes rove around, and who can 
she be seeking but me ?” 

Helgestad looked after him and muttered to himself, “ I can 
imagine whom she is seeking; but she will never find him. 
The Danish lord, I believe, has run off ; and, indeed, he had 
nothing else to do.” 

With this consolatory remark, he went back to the market, 
which had indeed increased in animation. The Lapps did 
not appear to know how to account for the absence of Mor- 
tuno and Afraja; and, as the greater part of them knew 
nothing more than that Afraja was coming to defend their 
rights before the voigt, they ceased to believe that it would 
take place. 

They were well aware of the animosity entertained against 
Afraja, and if he had renounced his complaints, it was no 
doubt through fear of ill treatment. But few knew that it was 
proposed to call them out, to vindicate their wrongs by force 
of arms, and the rest had only formed vague conjectures of 
such a design. Mortuno had thrown out some intimations of 
the kind ; but he had not communicated any plan to them, nor 
had a conspiracy been maturely devised. He had advised them 
to carry their arms with them, to fill their powder-horns, and 
line their belts with bullets; his words glowed with hatred 
against the oppressor, and he described in animated terms what 
would be the condition of the country, if the Normans wero 


508 


A Fit A J A . 


expelled, aud the possessions of their ancestors should be 
restored to them. His remarks had aroused their cupidity} 
but there was no patriotism. Yet, had he shouldered his 
unerring gun, many would have followed him, who would not 
have trusted in any other leader. 

If he should not make his appearance with his wise uncle, 
what would become of the market and the trade ? Here were 
reindeer hams, skins, and hides in heaps ; and there, stood the 
living beasts of slaughter in whole rows. Quantities of venison, 
and birds of various kinds, were bound to their backs by birch 
branches, and upon the ground lay gay colored garments, heaps 
of half-boots of reindeer skin, sewed together by sinews ; bear 
and wolf furs, fox and otter-skins, antlers, and bags filled with 
feathers from the breast- of the great, dazzling white moven ; 
eider ducks, and other rich and warm-feathered birds. All 
these articles could not remain unsold, and why should they 
wait any longer ? Many were seized with a secret fear, some 
longed after the brandy of the traders, others remembered that 
they had need of flour, cotton stuffs, iron-pots and hatchets, and 
it seemed to most of them, that these desirable articles, and the 
silver species of the Norwegians, were preferable to entering into 
a conflict with them, which would end in broken heads, punish- 
ments, whippings, and bloody wounds. 

An active trade sprang up, by degrees, in many places, ac- 
companied with shout and laughter, and flowing glasses; and 
only a small troop of young men stood apart, with guns on their 
shoulders, and knives in their belts. 

When the maidens entered among the crowd, the market was 
already in full activity. Gigantic Quanes haggled, with savage 
curses with malicious grinning Lapps, who would not abate 
their prices. Their wives crouched together, smoked the pipes 
of the men, or mingled clamorously in the bidding. The rein- 
deer were handled, their weight questioned and doubted, and 
the offer responded to with a scornful laugh, or the vender was 
brought to reasonable terms by the aid of a bottle of brandy. 


A Fll A J A. 


509 


In other places, the elamor turned upon fur coverlets, and 
kommagers, fox-caps and bear-skins. Fires were kindled, 
around which Finns and Bolaps, fishermen and colonists assem- 
bled, to eat, warm themselves, drink and frolic, while others 
gathered about roughly constructed tables to feast on mutton 
swimming in onion-broth. The Lapps cooked fish in their 
tinned vessels, which they devoured half-raw, or roasted flesh 
and birds. 

It was a remarkable fact that while the Norman fishermen, 
as well as the Finns and other colonists, could not present a 
man or woman of prepossessing appearance among their rough 
and weather-beaten faces and forms, the despised Nomads, the 
Lapps, had sent to the market some quite elegant and pleasing 
young men and maidens. 

These small-statured young girls were, indeed, regarded by 
the proud daughters of the traders, with contemptuous glances, 
and they were hardly looked upon by the men of better blood ; 
but they were, nevertheless, much prettier, and more elegant 
of shape, than many who affected to hold them in contempt. 
In their blue jackets and full gowns, embroidered with red lace, 
and their white caps and plaited aprons, their neat feather 
pockets, and laced gaiter-boots, they tripped along, like fawns, 
through the crowd, presenting in their vivacious eyes and fresh 
color a striking contrast with the coarse figures of the Nor- 
mans. 

These graceful maidens, in their attractive national costume, 
were the heiresses of opulent families, or women in their 
early bloom. They were probably possessed of two or three 
thousand reindeer, and had a dozen of buried pots, filled 
with specie thalers, in expectancy. They were young aristo- 
crats, who knew well their worth, and coldly turned their backs 
upon their poor, dirty countrymen, who sought to be intimate. 

Among the young men who strutted about in their new, brown 
hunting-shirts, broad girdles with silver bells, and caps adorned 
with the feathers of the eagle and skarve, from beneath which 
43 * 


510 


AFRAJA. 


tlieir dark locks escaped in careless profusion, there were many- 
stately and fine looking figures. They had all indeed something 
wild and striking in their appearance, and their small, flashing 
eyes roved timidly around, yet many a form was admirably 
shaped, and they were exempt from that tottering walk, so 
peculiar to the Lapps. 

Many of these young men had brought various articles for 
sale, but they were only objects of art, consisting of Lappish 
pockets, precious baskets, collars, and overcoats, ornamented 
with the finest feathers of different birds, arranged with a taste 
and skill that would have done credit to the most ingenious 
artist. 

With Ilda on his arm, and accompanied by her friends, 
Petersen had entered on the busy scene to make a selection from 
among this dazzling array of articles of taste. Tie urged his 
way through the dense throng of Lapps, who, as they yielded 
him a passage, scowled upon him with furtive glances ; no hand, 
however, was raised against him, and no threat was uttered in 
his hearing ; but the secretary looked upon them with a scornful 
expression, as if he knew their malicious thoughts and cowar- 
dice, while his keen penetrating glance struck every heart with 
terror. 

On this day he wore his official costume — a blue coat, with 
gold embroidered collar, and laced hat. His powdered hair was 
bound with a ribbon, and by his side he wore the long sword 
of justice. This costume was a subject of fear and admiration 
to the Lapps, investing the secretary in their eyes with a mys- 
terious power and authority. 

The young maidens were bargaining for a beautiful feather 
mantle of a young Lapp, as Paul came up. The Lapp de- 
manded a rather dear price, which had excited general surprise. 
Paul examined the cloak on all sides, and placed it on Ilda’s 
shoulders, saying, “ In your whole life, you fool, you have never 
beheld such a sight. The fairest maiden in Finn mark puts on 
your bad work, and for the first time gives it some value. Is 


APRAJA. 


511 


there nothing better than this ? Is there no richer and more 
elegant gift to be had in the market ? The mantle does not 
please me. Is there no more skilful hand in your gammes, 
which can produce a better work than this ?” 

A throng had gathered around the group of purchasers, from 
the midst of which some one suddenly called out the name of 
“ Mortuno \” in answer. 

The exclamation was so instantaneous, and uttered in such a 
shrill piercing voice behind Petersen's back, that he was 
startled, and let the mantle fall from his hands; a moment 
after, his attention was called, by a loud cry, to the neighboring 
church, from which a curious procession of Lapps, bearing 
something on a bier, was issuing. The men at its head parti- 
cularly excited his notice, and afforded him a malicious triumph ; 
for one of them was Afraja, and the other Marstrand. Pushing 
aside the bystanders, he hurried to the official tent of the voigt, 
in the middle of the market-place, and there gathered also the 
friends and confidants of the sorenskriver. The arrival of the 
dangerous Lapp was announced from mouth to mouth. Peter- 
sen was prepared to receive him, as he had held a conference 
with his uncle as soon as he saw the funeral train. Universal 
silence prevailed, the traders and their assistants left their 
shops, and the Lapps stared with open mouths upon their pro- 
phet. All eyes were directed upon the old and decrepit man 
who was supported by the proprietor of Balsfiord. A Norman, 
one of the ruling caste, giving his hand to a Lapp, and walking 
by his side, was a spectacle which excited the frowns of some, 
and the joy and astonishment of others. Ten or twelve of the 
family and tribe of Afraja followed the old chief and Marstrand, 
four of whom supported the veiled poles of the bier, while the 
others walked with bowed heads, with a number of dogs with 
drooping tails, at their heels. 

When Afraja reached the steps, he took off his cap, and 
clasped his bony hands. He made a low bow, and lifted up his 
head towards the seat of the voigt. His saddened eyes, red 


512 


AFRAJA 


with weeping, immediately assumed an indignant glow, when 
he beheld the secretary. Extending his shrunken arm, he ex- 
claimed, a Where is my child ? Where have you concealed 
her ? If she is here, let me see her. Have pity on me !” 

11 What does this mean ?” said the voigt, with a fierce frown. 
“ Have you a complaint to make ? So have we.” 

u I complain,” said the old man, in an humble but fearless 
manner, “ that my child has been stolen from me ; that robbers 
have entered my gamme, and carried off all that they could 

find; and not content with this, Mortuno ” 

Paul Petersen sprang from his seat, and exclaimed with the 
full strength of his powerful voice, “ Hold ! a villain and traitor 
like you neither deserves to be heard nor believed. Before you 
make your complaint, learn what you are accused of. Travellers 
have been robbed and maltreated, dwellings fired, and cattle 
stolen and driven off. Besides all this, you have obstructed the 
pious efforts to spread the Christian faith. You constrain your 
people, by force and threats, to continue the worship of pagan 
gods ; and you yourself are a heathen, whom no influences can 
convert to Christianity. You sacrifice to Jubinal, pray in the 
Saitas, curse and ridicule the Christian ministers, and have 
entered into partnership with the devil as a sorcerer. I accuse 
you of all these scandalous offences, and I will prove them 
against you. I, the judge of Tromsoe, arrest you in the name 
of the law. Seize him, and lead him away !” 

This command was given to a crowd of officers of justice, 
and young men, who were placed on both sides of the Lapps, 
and had separated him from his companions ; the last words 
were hardly pronounced, when Marstrand had thrown himself 
before the old chief, and his strong voice was heard replying to 
Petersen. u I protest against such arbitrary proceedings ; if this 
man is not to be believed; I will be a witness for him.” 

“ Spare your testimony for yourself,” said the secretary. 
** You will soon have need enough of it.. Seize him, officers !” 
“ First look here !” replied Marstrand. “Here lies the vie- 


AFRAJA. 


513 


tira, and there sits his murderer !” He advanced with a rapid 
stride to the bier, tore off the covering, and exposed to view 
the corpse of Mortuno, with the bloody wounds upon the fore- 
head. 

“ Yoigt of Tromsoe,” said Marstrand, in the midst of the 
breathless silence ; “ in the name of the king, I demand justice 
of you. You are the highest magistrate in this country; and 
you must pursue every criminal, even though your own nephew 
should he among the number.” 

The voigt sat motionless upon his seat. His hands convul- 
sively clinched together, and his face was inflamed with rage : 
he could have annihilated the accuser. 

u It is,” said Paul, “ a false and abominable accusation. I 
am not obliged to answer it; but I will do it, that my friends 
and countrymen may not think ill of me. Bring the witnesses, 
John Marstrand, to sustain your charges, that they may be 
heard in the presence of all.” 

11 Two days ago,” began the accuser, u three men appeared, 
early in the morning, in the vicinity of the Kilpisjaure, hover- 
ing near the tent of Afraja, and who, finally, entered it. They 
were the sorenskriver, Paul Petersen, Olaf Veigand, of Bodoen, 
and Bjornarne Helgestad. They pretended to be on a hunting 
excursion, were friendly received and entertained, and about 
an hour after again left the gamme. They returned, however, 
in the night, accompanied, without doubt, by a fourth, for the 
foot-prints of four persons have been discovered, and a broken 
knife, with the name of Egede inscribed upon the hilt. 

“ These four men, accompanied by a dog, forced their way 
into the secluded valley which lies at the foot of the Kilpm. 
The daughter of Afraja, called Gula, who is known to many, 
was sleeping there. They surprised the maiden, bound her 
hand and foot, as these torn bands prove, laid the hut waste, 
destroyed property, and carried off the captive. Some hours 
afterwards they were pursued and overtaken. Mortuno, the 
nephew of this old man, appears to have first discovered what 

2 h 


514 


AFRAJA. 


had occurred. lie endeavored to liberate the prisoner ; hut ho 
was shot down, if not by Paul Petersen, at least by one of his 
companions. Here is a half-burnt paper, the wad of a gun, 
which is part of a letter written by Paul Petersen. It is his 
handwriting ; let him deny it, if he can.” 

“ I do not deny it,” said Paul, contemptuously, as the frag- 
ment was handed to him; “but I do deny, upon my honor 
and conscience, and in the presence of Almighty Hod, that this 
Lapp fell by my hand. Before I defend myself, I have some 
inquiries to address to this accuser. You certainly can tell the 
whole story. Were you close at hand, or were you present, 
when the dead body was found ?” 

Marstrand was silent. 

u It is not possible that Afraja sent to the Balsfiord to seek 
you. The time was too short for that; and it is also known 
that you left your residence several days previous, ostensibly on 
a journey to the Malangerfiord. But you were not there. You 
went, instead, to this Lapp, at the Kilpis, with whom, for some 
time, you have been in such intimate intercourse, as no Nor- 
man practises. 

“ I have no explanations to make to you, touching my con- 
duct,” said Marstrand, amid the disapprobatory murmur of the 
bystanders. 

“ For the moment, no — but, hereafter, certainly,” exclaimed 
Paul ; “ it is sufficient now to know that you were concealed in 
the gamme of this old malefactor. I frankly confess that you 
spoke the truth, and that I was at the Kilpis with my friends 
Bjornarne and Olaf; and I am willing to avow the motive which 
impelled me to this journey. 

“ This slain man was a villain of the worst kind, and I can 
hardly believe that his end excites any commiseration, but among 
his associates. He was the near relative of Afraja, his right- 
hand man in all his schemes, and his confidant in all his plans 
against the peace and security of the country. As the ser- 
vant of the king and the law, I was obliged to think of some 


AFRAJA. 


515 


means of getting at this scoundrel. For this purpose, I asso- 
ciated myself with my friends, Bjornarne and Olaf, and I ap- 
peal to the best man in Finnmark, Niels Helgestad, as a witness 
of the truth of what I say, as he was made acquainted with 
all my views, and allowed his son to accompany me. 

“We arrived at the Kilpis and met Afraja there. In his 
gamme I convinced myself again of his vile life and actions. 
I tempted him by some flattering words, and he sold us a piece 
of money, an idolatrous picture, which he assured us would 
procure us a safe return, and a good wind on the sea.” 

Afraja, upon this remark, fixed his eyes on the secretary with 
a most scornful and vindictive expression. 

“ Can you deny it, old heathen and sorcerer ?” exclaimed 
Petersen. 

u Strike him down, the accursed villain !” shouted a crowd 
of half-drunken Quanes and colonists. 

“We withdrew, and lay concealed in a ravine until evening,” 
continued the secretary. “ Duty and conscience urged me to 
employ every means to deprive this vermin of further power 
of doing mischief; for it was evident that Afraja would never 
come down from his wilderness, unless we could find some mode 
of enticing him here. I had learned that he kept his daughter 
concealed in a valley of the Kilpis, the same Gula whom Hel- 
gestad once bought of him, and educated to be a Christian, 
until he stole her away, and forced her again to the worship 
of idols.” 

“ You lie,” said the old man, “ and you know it.” 

“ We found the valley and the maiden, and we took her with 
us. No harm has been done her; our object was simply to 
bring this crafty malefactor down here, in order to get him in 
our possession, and punish him. We have succeeded in it. As 
to this dead man, I do not know how he came to his end. He 
has merited it a thousand times. He was a malicious enemy 
of every Christian and Norwegian man. Some weeks before, 
he shot Olaf Yeigand through the hat, so that he made a 


516 


APRAJA. 


narrow escape with his life. I would have punished him with 
the utmost rigor of the law, had he not been taken away 
by the will of God. If Olaf shot him, he doubtless did it in 
self-defence. I separated from my friends, who carried the 
maiden to Quanerfiord, in order to deliver her to Niels Belges- 
tad, her rightful lord, when this Lapp, her father, should be in 
our power.” 

“She has no lord,” said Afraja. “By the great God of the 
Christians, I swear that I never sold my child.” 

“Nuh !” answered Helgestad, as he came forward; “I am 
also here, and can say that you are a liar and a scoundrel. I 
bought your child for more brandy and tobacco than she is 
worth. You stole her away, as Paul Petersen has justly said. 
All here know me, and will credit my word.” 

“It is false!” said Afraja. “ Gula never belonged to you. 
She left you, because your son persecuted her with his love. 
He tore her away from my gamme to dishonor her.” 

These words made a painful impression as well upon Helges- 
tad, as upon the whole circle. It was the most dishonorable 
accusation that could be made against him. The rich, arrogant 
man, the first in the country, could he see himself and his son so 
publicly disgraced ? Could a miserable Lapland maiden have been 
obliged to fly from the passion of Bjornarne ? Was it possible 
that he had pursued her, and carried her off, and was now lying 
concealed with her at Quanerfiord, while his betrothed, the 
daughter of Uve Pandrem, was in vain expecting him ? Hel- 
gestad stood like a statue of stone. His hands were clinched 
together, his face was suffused with deep crimson, from mere 
shame, and he could, with difficulty, control himself. “ W retc-h !” 
he at length exclaimed, “ I would tread you under my feet, if 
it were not a shame to touch one who belongs to the hangman.” 

“ Away with the old villain !” said the voigt ; “ he shall atone 
for his many atrocities.” 

Afraja fled to the Dane, and clung to him. “ Hear him !” ho 


AFRAJA. 517 

exclaimed, “ask him, he knows all. Ask the pastor, Klaus 
Hornemann, he will tell the truth.” 

“ I will hear him,” said Helgestad. “ Silence, you people, 
and let him speak! Speak, Herr Marstrand; you are a fine 
gentleman and a stickler upon the point of honor. Whatever 
has occurred between us, you have lived under my roof ; name 
and character are now at stake. Chastise this rascal for his lies, 
and shame him before the people here, as you hope for mercy 
hereafter.” 

“ If it is necessary,” replied Marstrand, “ that the whole 
truth be told, then, Herr Helgestad, I can do nothing else than 
confirm Afraja’s words. It is, indeed, true, that Bjornarne 
drove Gula from your house. He persecuted her with his love ; 
they who wished to ruin him, cherished his passion, and I fear 
it was a well-considered plan to carry off the maiden, to sepa- 
rate the son from the father, and thus to make all alike miser- 
able.” 

“ You have conspired with him !” cried Helgestad. “ You 
have taken the heathen devil’s money !” 

“ Not I, you — you sought to deceive him !” said the Lapp. 
“ I frustrated your schemes. The young man speaks the truth/ 
Your son, your only son, lay at the feet of my daughter, was 
willing to fly to the gamme, whenever she pleased ; but she 
repulsed him ; she would not accept his proffered lov« !” 

Helgestad tottered, and was obliged to lean upon a bystander 
for support, but the blow which he had received was not the 
hardest that was to fall upon him. In the same moment, a man 
broke through the crowd, before whom every one gave way. 
His long hair floated in disorder over his neck, he was almost 
breathless from exhaustion and anxiety, and his countenance 
struck all with terror and apprehension. 

“Egede !” exclaimed the secretary. “He comes as another 
witness. Where is Bjornarne ? Where is the maiden !” 

The Quane clasped his hands together, and stood perfectly 
motionless in the circle that surrounded him. 

44 


518 


AFRA JA. 


u Speak !” shouted Helgestad ; u where is my son ? You 
have come at a seasonable moment from Quananger. You shall 
now, friends and neighbors, hear the truth, which will dissi- 
pate all falsehood and deception. I suppose you have left 
them behind, and that Bjbrnarne and Olaf have sent you 
ahead to announce their coming.” 

The wild creature grasped the hair of his head, and twisted 
it into knots. His eyes were distorted, and a guttural sound 
issued from the bottom of his throat, as if his tongue was inca- 
pable of action, or as if he dared not give utterance to the 
words which pressed to his lips. 

The voigt sprang from his seat, .and with a menacing wave 
of his extended arm, he exclaimed; “Have you lost your 
senses ? You must speak. Holy God ! what has happened ? 
— Hold, Niels Helgestad ! hold ! Let him alone.” 

Helgestad had approached him, and struck him so violently 
on the shoulder, that Egede fell upon his knees. He glared 
upon him with a stare that seemed to penetrate to the inmost 
depths of his heart, and he appeared to gather something from 
this scrutinising look, which struck him with horror. The iron- 
hearted man trembled in every limb ; his hard face was red with 
the blood that pressed to his brain, and his eyes protruded from 
his head with affright. Ilda stood alongside of him, pale, but 
self-possessed. She held her father’s hand with a convulsive 
grasp ; upon the other side, Hannah clung to his body, while 
her eyes fell, like lightning, upon the Quane and Helgestad, 
and in her countenance was depicted a strange mingling of 
passion, scorn, fear, pity, and anxious expectation. 

Various as were the feelings of this miscellaneous throng, 
the deepest silence prevailed among them. In breathless 
anxiety, they fixed their eyes upon the individual who for so 
many years had been regarded as the first and happiest man in 
the whole country. No one had ever seen him in such a state; 
whatever he had commenced, he had always accomplished; 
whatever he wished to acquire, he had obtained. His sagacity 


AFRAJA. 


519 


was proverbial ; whoever opposed him was defeated. And, now 
when he appeared to have arrived at the climax of human pros- 
perity, and his son and daughter were about to contract 
marriages of a rare and enviable character, Afraja had hurled 
the first stone at his proud head, and here was a messenger who 
had something yet more fearful, to announce. 

No one knew what it was and what it could be, that would 
cause such a being as Egede Wingeborg to tear his hair and 
beat his breast in such a fearful manner ! 

All these rough people were oppressed by the same emotions 
as those which agitated Ilelgestad. Paul Petersen alone felt 
an internal satisfaction ; and while, with a saddened counte- 
nance, he endeavored to induce his father-in-law to retire, he 
saw that his projects were unexpectedly realized, and his most 
covetous expectations surpassed — and heaven itself seemed to 
have come to his assistance \ for he was perfectly cognizant of 
the news which Egede had brought with him. The whole prey 
had now fallen into his hands, and the certainty of this was so 
gratifying, that he could easily feign a grief which he did not 
feel. 

His eyes were moist, and his voice faltered, as he laid his 
hand on the shoulder of Ilelgestad. “I beseech you, dear 
father,” he said in a lachrymose tone, a go with your daughters, 
and leave us alone. Lead your father away, Ilda. For hea- 
ven’s sake ! take him to your embrace, and console him with 
your tender sympathy.” 

But Helgestad lifted himself up like a lion, who, awaking 
from his sleep, beholds his lair surrounded by dogs and hunters. 
The bold pride of his youth returned — his head was erect, and 
his eyes roved sternly around. u I am able to suffer whatever 
must be submitted to. Go on, Egede, and let us know what it 
is ; I can almost divine the truth — but uncertainty is worse 
than all. Where is my son ?” 

Egede’s head sank down upon his breast, and as he clasped 
his hands before him, he exclaimed in a deep-toned voice, 
“ Dead, Herr !” 


520 


AFR A J A. 


Not a sound was heard. Helgestad clinched his fist — a 
fierce smile hovered around his lips, and his eyes opened wide, 
without a quiver. “ He was a noble youth,” he murmured to 
himself. “ And where is Olaf ?” 

“ All gone — all dead 1” howled Egede, throwing up his 
hands. “ Herr ! Herr ! all dead !” 

The old man slowly raised his eyes to the stormy clouds 
overhead, and a prolonged heart-rending “Oh!” burst from 
his bosom. His looks wandered round upon the faces of the 
spectators, many of whom wept; and in a broken voice, he 
said, “ He was a good child, my son Bjornarne, and this is the 
only sorrow he ever occasioned me.” 

“ You have yet a daughter and a son, Niels,” said the voigt. 

Helgestad laid his hand upon Ilda, who regarded him with a 
look of tender compassion, which moved his keenest sensibili- 
ties. Almost at the same time he observed Hannah, and he 
comprehended the defeat of all the hopes he had formed in 
relation to her marriage with Bjornarne. She was free. He 
had no other son, who could bring the money of Fandrem to 
Lyngenfiord. All his projects were frustrated; his cunning 
was foiled, and her eyes seemed to glow with a demoniac 
expression; and he imagined he heard again the frightful 
laugh which she uttered, as her lover was plunged into the 
sea. 

He drew a deep breath — the blood rushed from his heart to 
his brain, and he shook off Hannah’s arm as if he had been 
touched by a snake. Turning to Egede, who had again risen 
to his feet, he said, in a commanding tone, “ Relate the circum- 
stances of the death of these brave men.” 

“You know,” replied the Quane, upon whom all eyes were 
now riveted, “ that we had gone to seek the daughter of the 
sorcerer of the Kilpis, to bring her to Loppen.” 

“ I know it,” said Helgestad. “ Who set her free ? Who 
killed Bjornarne? They were Lapps. Thieves! Murderers! 
The old hell-hound sent them for that purpose.” 


A F It A J A . 


521 


He pointed to Afraja, and as Egede observed him -with a 
face of exulting rage and vengeance, he exclaimed, “ You have 
him ! you have him ! Send him where she lies, pale and 
cold, with the water-sprites and the trolls — down deep in the 
waters, where the sharks greedily await him. Oh ! Herr ! 
would that your son had not held on to my arm, and that he 
had not heeded her cry. I would have quieted her.” He 
gnashed his long teeth, and stretched his arm towards Afraja. 
“ All his charms and spells would never have found her again ; 
they ought not to have set out for Loppen in the storm.” 

“It was the raging sea that did it,” said Helgestad, “and 
not the hand of man.” 

“No human hand could save us,” responded Egede. “We 
took a boat at Quananger. I saw the cloud caps around the 
Jakiilnfjelle, and the long streaks of foam that broke upon the 
Arenoen islands; and I warned them, but, alas, in vain. The 
maiden fell on her knees, wept, cried and threatened; wished 
to go to you, Herr, and to Miss Ilda; she implored God and 
man, the witch ! Olaf also spoke; but nothing availed — Bjor- 
narne was determined to go to Loppen. We went down the 
fiord. The evil one had entered into your son, Herr, and 
blinded his heart and eyes, so that he would neither see nor 
hear. The storm assailed us in the Kaagsund. A whirlwind 
seized our boat, whirled it about like a top, lifted it up above 
the waves, and plunged it beneath them again. Olaf struck 
against the cliff with his head, and never came up again. I 
clung to the shattered boat for my life ; I saw your son as he 
rose above the billows, with the maiden in his arms; and I 
sought to save him, by grasping his long hair. 1 Let her go/ 
I cried, 1 let the witch go V He would not separate from her. 
She clung around his neck ; he pressed her to him, and en- 
deavored to raise her on high. Thrice I called to him, and 
then came a furious wave. ‘ Throw the brat to the devil P 1 
cried. ‘ I will live and die with her P he responded ; and thcso 
were his last words.” 

44 * 


522 


AFRAJA. 


Helgestad had listened, till now, with apparent equanimity; 
but his whole face gradually crimsoned, and he suddenly ex- 
claimed, in a voice of thunder, to the Quane, “ You lie, misera- 
ble wretch ! Bjornarne, my son ! Cursed be your tongue ! 
Gula ! You lie, traitor, he never wished to live with her !” 

He was overwhelmed with shame and confusion ; for it was 
now evident to all that Bjornarne had loved the Lapland maiden, 
and that Afraja had spoken the truth. 

“ You villain ! you robber !” cried Egede, shaking his fist 
at the venerable old shepherd; “you sold a charm to Olaf, 
which was to bring fine weather ; you conspired, however, with 
the spirits of darkness, to destroy him.” 

Helgestad looked at Afraja, who had also lost his child. A 
revengeful murmur ran through the mass of people around the 
Lapp; but he stood erect, fearless, and calm. A wild enthu- 
siasm, and an expression of triumph glanced in his fiery, red 
eyes. 

“ Accursed sorcerer !” exclaimed Helgestad ; “ you betrayed 
him, and enticed him to the sea !” He raised his powerful 
arm; his brow frowned, like the head of Medusa; and he 
sprang at his enemy. But he tottered before he reached him, 
and fell into the arms of the bystanders, who hurried forward 
to catch him in their arms. 

A wild cry, and a confused discord of jarring voices, now 
arose. Helgestad’ s huge form sank into an apparently lifeless 
state, and he was carried off, to procure help. A vindictive and 
clamorous band gathered around Afraja and his companions, 
muttering the most sanguinary threats, and they were only 
restrained from violence by the active interposition of the voigt, 
the secretary, and other persons of authority. 

“ And now,” said Paul, when the first confusion was over ; 
“ now, Herr Marstrand, I turn to you. I arrest you as a con- 
federate of this criminal.” 

“You arrest me?” replied Marstrand. “Upon what 
grounds ?” 


AFR A J A. 


523 


“ As an arch-traitor,” said the secretary. “ Your trial will 
prove it. You have sold a considerable quantity of powder and 
lead to this Lapp ; you have been made acquainted with his 
treasonable intentions, and you have made common cause with 
him.” 

“I hope,” said Marstrand, as he quietly looked around, 
“ that no one believes this nonsense.” 

But his eyes fell upon dark and frowning faces ; threatening 
words reached his ear. “ Bight ! sorenskriver Petersen !” cried 
many voices confusedly ; “ clear out the whole nest ! He bas 
had intercourse with the Lapps. Away with the vagabond ! 
Away with the Dane ! Down with the dog, the traitor !” 

“ Will you obey ?” said Paul. 

“ I am a single, powerless man,” said Marstrand. “ Do as 
you please, but I will hold you responsible for your conduct.” 

The whole fraternity of young men, about forty or fifty in 
number, that surrounded the secretary, were armed with guns 
and knives. A part of them had thrown Afraja down, and 
bound him, and others had seized and led off the Dane ; but 
the greater part threw themselves upon the throng of Lapps, 
and mastered those who were armed. 

Afraja’s immediate attendants were next beaten down. The 
tall, robust men met with but little opposition from the poor, 
weak people, who took to flight, in their fright falling over one 
another, while shots were fired at some, and blows showered 
upon others. The Quanes, Bolapps and fishermen fell upon the 
abandoned stores, carried them off, and divided them ; and pur- 
sued the retreating fugitives to the summit of the fjeld, behind 
the church. 

Paul Petersen protected the prisoners from injury, and had 
them all conducted to the vestibule of the church. From time 
to time others were brought in, who had been taken in the 
flight, most of whom had been severely beaten. The poor crea- 
tures lay trembling in the corners ; and when the clamor from 


624 


A F It A J A . 


without grew more menacing against them, they crowded to- 
gether like affrighted sheep. 

The only Lapp left upon the place was the dead Mortuno, 
who slumbered upon his bier, undisturbed by the coarse jests 
of which he was the subject. Those who once feared him, now 
kicked him with their feet, and threatened his impotent form. 
What was to be done with him ? No one sufficiently compas- 
sionated his mortal remains, to give them a decent burial ; and 
it would be considered a sacrilege to give them sepulture in the 
graveyard of a Christian church. After some moments’ delibera- 
tion, a couple of fierce-looking Quanes slung a rope about his 
legs and neck, fastened some heavy stones to his body, and when 
the sorenskriver, and the voigt, and others, were called off to a 
consultation, they pitched the body of the unfortunate Mortuno 
from a steep cliff into the sea. 

“ That was, indeed,” said Paul, to himself, u the best thing 
that could have happened to him. The Groundhais will soon 
finish him below there, and we shall be rid of him forever.” 

He blamed, aloud, however, the precipitate proceeding, and 
forbade any one to touch the property of the fugitive Lapps — 
a command, however, which came too late \ for whatever was 
to be found, had already met with new owners. The voigt then 
caused the doors of the house to be opened, and entered with 
his companions. There were some thirty prisoners, who threw 
themselves on their knees, and howled for mercy, when they 
perceived the dark and sinister faces of the visitors. Afraja sat 
against the wall. His feet were bound, and his hands were tied 
together on his back. The voigt looked at him, and shook his 
fist at him, in a threatening manner. 

“ You old rascal, you shall not escape from the hands of jus- 
tice this time,” he said. u For many years you have practised 
your jugglery and witchcraft \ but we have you, at last. You 
will devise no more mischief, nor stimulate to more plots and 
insurrections. But,” he continued, “ I will yet spare you, if 
you will confess the truth. I will bring the truth out of your 




AFRAJA 


525 


wicked head, you may rely upon that. Think upon this, until 
you arrive at Tromsoe. You must go thither, and testify. For- 
wards with you all ! and woe to him who makes a noise, or at- 
tempts to escape. Take the old beast, and drag him away !” 

There was no talk of escaping. Their hands had been bound; 
some of them were now loosened, to carry Afraja to the cutter 
of the voigt, which was ready to sail. The old chief spoke not a 
word, and no feature in his face betrayed fear or pain, although 
he was cruelly treated, and very tightly bound. 

Voigt Paulsen now went into the church, where Marstrand 
was sitting on a chair. He had been separated from the Lapps, 
and an armed sentinel was stationed at the door, to prevent any 
conversation with Afraja. He had had time enough to think 
of his fate ; yet he was much less concerned for himself, than 
for what had happened around him. 

The sudden death of Bjornarne, Olaf, and the poor Gula, had 
deeply grieved him. He thought of Hannah and Ilda, of Hel- 
gestad’s sorrow and shame, and upon the unhappy old man 
who had fallen into the hands of his merciless enemies. What 
would become of him ? For more than a hundred miles there 
was no power which could put a stop to their cruelty. His only 
friend, and the only protector of the unhappy Afraja, was Klaus 
Hornemann. Where was he now? Why was he not here? 
Who knew whether he was sick, or dead? That he would 
come, if he was alive, was certain ; and this thought was the 
only ray of hope which sustained his drooping spirits. 

When the voigt entered with his companions, he turned 
away in disgust from his red and vicious face. 

“ Stand up, Herr \” said Paulsen, with all his official pomp. 

“By what right am I maltreated, and bound in this man- 
ner ?* ’ he replied. 

“'You will learn that in Tromsoe,” said the voigt; “where 
you will be judicially tried.” 

“ I demand to know my offence ?” 

“ You have heard it. You arc accused of high treason.” 


52G 


AFRAJA. 


“ If it is really so, and any one is foolish enough to bring 
such an accusation against me, no one here can be my judge. 
[ am a nobleman of the kingdom, and must be judged by the 
supreme court. I am an officer; and as such, the right of judg- 
ment belongs to the governor of Norway.” 

“ You are entirely mistaken,” replied the voigt. “ You live, 
imd are settled in Finnmark, which has its own supreme court 
ef life and death. No one is excepted from its authority, not 
even a nobleman. In important cases, the court in Tromsoe is 
assisted by six judges, selected from among the principal men 
in the country, and from whose decision there is no appeal.” 

The confusion of . Marstrand’s countenance called forth a 
smile of triumph from the voigt. “ I have given orders to 
carry you to Tromsoe,” he continued. “ You were an officer, 
and a nobleman ; and I also have worn the sword. I will treat 
you according to your former rank, if you will give me your 
word to submit with patience, and to make no attempt at 
escape.” 

“ And if I do not ?” 

“Then I must take all proper measures to prevent your 
escape. All your confederates lie bound in the ship’s hold.” 

“By heavens!” cried the Dane, while he clinched his fists; 
but he suddenly let his arm fall, and calmly said, “ I will com- 
ply with your request ; but do not suppose that your conduct 
will not be judged and punished.” 

“ Silence !” said the voigt ; “ these are useless words. No- 
thing will happen to you, that you do not deserve. We have 
a supreme court of judicature, and we have laws; and to their 
judgment you must submit. No one, not even the king, can 
call us to account for a conscientious and just execution of the 
law.” 

A fearful truth was contained in this declaration, the import- 
ance of which Marstrand fully recognised. He would be 
destroyed, not by an arbitrary stretch of power, but by legal 


A F R A J A . 527 

forms ; and if any shadow of proof could be produced against 
him, he was lost. 

“ Follow me,” said the voigt. He preceded him, and on 
both sides of the prisoner walked two armed men ; Paul Peter- 
sen endeavored to assume a sad and sympathizing countenance 
as he looked at him, which Marstrand returned with a glance 
of contempt. 

“ How is Helgestad ?” he asked the voigt. 

“He is out of his senses,” responded Paulsen; “you have 
brought much misery upon him.” 

“ Not I ! Oh, not I ! Others have done it, who must 
answer for it.” 

The voigt made no answer, for the procession, as it passed 
along, was received with imprecations and insulting shouts. 
The guards advanced against the most hostile persons, who 
cried vengeance on the false Dane, and wished to tear him to 
pieces on the spot. The wild mass of half-drunken men to 
which he was exposed, with Afraja and his fellow-sufferers, 
were aroused to such a pitch of fury, that he was in momentary 
expectation of being stoned to death, or assassinated. He 
trembled not at the prospect of such an end, and he calmly 
looked upon the infuriated crowd. A discouraging reflection 
arose in his mind, when he thought that there was more than 
one among them who had received benefits at his hands, and 
yet not a voice nor an arm was raised in his behalf. It seemed 
to him as if many of the traders and proprietors would have 
been gratified to see him delivered to these half-savage Quanes 
and Islanders. 

Paul stepped before him, as the voigt was powerless to repel 
the crowd, and laying his hand upon the shoulder of the 
prisoner, in a stern and commanding voice, he exclaimed, 
« Obey, and desist from violence, or you will rue it ! This 
man has fallen into the hands of the law, which will judge 
him. He will not escape the punishment he may have merited. 
Judgment will be pronounced upon him in open court in 


523 


A P II A J A . 


Tromsoe, before the judges. But do you be gone, unless you 
wish to be arrested and severely punished. ” 

These words produced more effect than all that the voigt had 
said. They feared the secretary, because they knew him. The 
crowd fell back, leaving an open space, and Paul said, with a 
sympathising expression, “I have this time saved your life, 
and may God help me, as your judge, to pronounce your 
acquittal.” 

He nodded to his companion, who hurried Marstrand down 
the steps and into the government cutter, the sail of which 
being immediately raised, she bore out to sea. 

An hour later, Helgestad was carried down the same way to 
his boat, and laid upon its cushions, to return to Orenaes. He 
was restored to his reason, but he could not speak. Hannah 
held his trembling head, and his eyes roved wildly around in 
all directions. 

“ This has been a sad market,” sighed Paul, as he pressed 
the hand of Ilda. “ Take care of your father ! I will return 
as soon as I can.” 

“ The will of God be done l” she answered in her customary 
calm, self-possessed manner. 


CHAPTER XXIV. 


A week had elapsed, and the preparations were all made in 
Tromsoe for the holding of the court. The proceedings were 
of too simple a nature to require a long delay. The criminals 
for whose trial it was called were in close custody; a sufficient 
number of witnesses were on the ground, the six associate 
judges were soon found, and the public feeling was as sound as 
could have been desired. The court day, which, after the 


APR A J A. 


529 


ancient custom, was holden on Friday, was eagerly looked for- 
ward to. The bitterness of feeling and lust of vengeance bad 
rather increased than diminished, and a knowledge of the 
events at Lyngen market, had been diffused over the whole 
country, with comments that were admirably adapted to stimu- 
late the Norman population to the utmost animosity. 

The Lapps, as the report ran, appeared in a numerous body 
to murder all the traders. The long-studied schemes of the 
mischievous brain of Afraja were to have been brought into 
execution on this occasion. 

The hearing of the prisoners had rendered all clear and cer- 
tain that was desired. Trembling with anxiety and fear, they 
confessed whatever the secretary wished. Afraja had held 
gatherings, had spread hatred and contempt against the foreign 
intruders, had encouraged the Lapps to resistance, and the 
great conspiracy was finally devised which was to have exploded 
at the Lyngen market. 

Mortuno had been an active cooperator in all these plans, the 
success of which was frustrated by his death. Paul Petersen, 
who, to his own imminent danger, had discovered the conspi- 
racy, and captured the dangerous Lapp, appeared in the light 
of a bold and resolute man, who had rendered his fellow-country- 
men a signal service. All were indebted to him for the saga- 
city with which he had delivered them from danger, for his 
intrepid patriotism, and for the arrest of the Dane, who had made 
common cause with the conspirators. 

A peculiar incredulity was indeed manifested on the last 
head. It seemed impossible that a nobleman, and an officer 
of the guard, should have joined with the degraded race of 
Lapps in an undertaking which every man of sense would pro- 
nounce both impracticable and foolish. But the Dane, during 
all his residence in the country, had been the advocate of the 
Lapps, and was their constant friend and protector. He had 
fallen in love with a Lapland maiden, and, as would be clearly 
proven from the evidence on the trial, he was with Afraja in 
45 2 1 


530 


AFR A J A. 


the Kilpisjaure, when the courageous sorenskriver made his 
appearance there. 

The most fearful tales were told of his relations with Hel- 
gestad, and his proceedings at the Balsfiord. He was accused 
of the most shameful ingratitude, and the greatest folly. He 
had basely repaid with treachery the friendship which had been 
bestowed upon him. He endeavored to inveigle Helgestad's 
daughter into his net, to prevent the marriage of Bjornarne, 
and to induce the maiden, who secretly clung to him, to enter 
into a scandalous intrigue. Strong as was the effort to cover 
the reproach which had fallen upon Helgestad's house, it could 
not be entirely denied that the unfortunate and only son of the 
rich proprietor had cherished a culpable passion for Gula. 

Helgestad's misfortunes gave occasion to other complaints, 
which, for the most part, were directed against Marstrand. 
However numerous and bitter were the enemies of Helgestad 
on account of his pride and craftiness of dealing, yet his afflic- 
tions and mortified feelings excited universal sympathy. 

Towards the end of the following week, the documents were 
ready, the judges were summoned, and on the ensuing day the 
court was to be held. Paul Petersen was engaged late in the 
evening in his office in the preparation of the proceedings. 
Prom time to time he paused in his labors, listened to the 
wind, and fell back in his arm-chair with a slight moan ; but 
he repressed his feelings, and continued to work, even when 
the noise of voices and steps was heard close at hand. 

At length, he opened the door, and, as he looked up, his 
uncle stood before him. The voigt yet had on his travelling 
cap and cloak. 

“ Peace and happiness be with you, Paul,” he said. u They 
are all here. I have just arrived from Lyngenfiord with Hel- 
gestad, Ilda, and Hannah. But how you look !” he continued, 
in an anxious manner, with a shake of the head ; “ you seem 
ill, Paul ; your hands are burning hot, and your face is sadly 
changed. What is the matter ?” 


A F It A J A . 


531 


“Nothing,” responded Petersen, smiling. '“I have worked 
hard, and been much vexed by the scoundrels. How is Hel- 
gestad ?” 

“ Tolerably well,” said the voigt. “ He speaks with compo- 
sure of Bjornarne’s death. They found the body in Kaagsund, 
but so firmly locked in embrace with the Lapland maiden, that 
the two could not be separated. They buried them both in the 
same grave.” 

“ So they are united for ever,” said Paul, jestingly. “ How 
is Ilda ?” 

“ All well. She, you know, never weeps nor complains.” 

“Why should she weep?” exclaimed the secretary. “If 
Bjornarne had not been drowned, he would have caused her 
trouble enough, for he would never have given up the black- 
eyed witch. Now he is gone, and she is left sole heir.” 

“And when next week comes?” nodded the voigt. 

“ The pastor,” said Paul, “ has already announced the wed- 
ding. How admirably well all goes on, uncle !” 

The uncle and nephew regarded each other smilingly. “ Pre- 
serve your courage,” whispered the voigt. “ I think that Hel- 
gestad can no longer be driven. He is greatly changed from 
what he was. He sits and ruminates, and speaks but little. 
He has received a blow from which he will never recover. He 
cannot last much longer, and then he will leave you all.” 

Paul listened with indifference. “ How does Afraja conduct 
himself?” asked the uncle. 

“ Not a word can be extracted from him,” said Paul. “ But 
what did you find at the Balsfiord ?” 

“Nothing. No kind of writing that could serve our pur- 
poses. Only some deeds of possession, and a couple of bags 
containing money.” 

“ These may also be brought in evidence,” muttered the 
secretary. “The proud Dane refused to answer. Give me 
the deeds, uncle — So ” He took them in his hands, and 


532 


AFRAJA. 


regarded them with a scornful and exulting expression. “ By 
heavens ! the fool shall never get them back again.” 

“I hope not/' said the voigt ) u but what will you do with 
him ?” 

After some moments’ reflection, Paul replied, “It would 
have been better if I had not protected him against the drawn 
knives of the fishermen and Quanes. And now who knows 
what will become of him ?” 

“ And the sorcerer ?” whispered the voigt. 

“ Hush !” said the secretary. “ I hear talking. Go down 
to our guests, uncle ; I will follow you.” 

When the voigt had left the room, Paul arose, took the light, 
and placed himself before the looking-glass. His face was 
sunken, and although redder than usual, it looked wasted 
and sickly. “My beauty does not increase,” he exclaimed 
jestingly to himself, “ but I shall please her so much the more.” 
He threw off his coat and exposed his side, where he had been 
wounded. It was not healed, but was swollen and discolored, 
and had an offensive appearance. 

“ Damnation !” he muttered ] “ I must do something. I 
suffer from pain, and cannot confide my affairs to any one.” 
He rubbed it with ointment, bound it up, and dressed it with 
the greatest care. 

When he entered the guest-chamber, Helgestad was sitting 
in the great chair by the fire, the two maidens at a table, and 
the voigt between them. Helgestad held a glass in his hand, 
but he was not as jovial as formerly in emptying it, under all 
sorts of calculations. He gazed at the smoking drink with a 
vacant stare, slowly raised his head as he heard the secretary’s 
voice, and extended hi& lean, sinewy hand. His whole ‘body 
and face seemed to be wasting away. The huge bones every- 
where protruded, and the yellow skin stretched over them like 
parchment. 

“Heartily welcome,” said Paul, “and to you, beloved Ilda, 
my especial greeting.” 


AFRAJA. 


533 


Ilda spoke a few words, and tlie conversation then turned on 
Helgestad’ s indisposition and health and the voyage, but it was 
of a monotonous and broken character, and soon came to a 
pause. 

Ilda also seemed changed. The tall, stout maiden had not 
indeed fallen off, but the deep earnestness of her character had 
increased. She occasionally smiled in past times with some 
cordiality of feeling, but her countenance was now fixed and 
immovable ; her complexion had become transparent, and the 
expression of her eyes was so stern, that Paul could not endure 
it. He exerted himself to be merry, and to amuse the com- 
pany, but it was a painful and unsuccessful effort. He clearly 
perceived the light in which he was regarded by all; and 
Helgestad shook his head, and, with a deep-drawn sigh, said, 
“ It was different when Bjornarne was alive. Bring him back ; 
it will do you good.” 

“ Would to God I could do it,” responded the secretary; 
“ but I can only punish those who are the authors of all this 
mischief. I would not have disturbed your repose, but 
it may be necessary for you to testify before the court. 
Strengthen yourself for to-morrow, and collect your thoughts.” 

“ I will,” said Helgestad ; “ but it were better if Bjornarne 
were here.” 

“ Does he always talk so ?” asked Paul, turning to Hannah, 
with whom he spoke for the most part. 

“ His memory sometimes seems to fail him,” she replied ; 
“ but all is often clear and distinct, and he sees farther than he 
formerly did.” 

Paul reflected upon what she said, and looked at her with an 
inquiring glance. “After what has happened here, I suppose 
you will desire to return to Bergen as soon as possible,” said 
Paul. 

“ I shall remain until my father comes to some decision on 
the subject,” was her answer. 

“ My sweet Ilda cannot have a more beautiful bridesmaid.” 

45 * 


534 


AFR A JA. 


“ How ?” she said ; “ do you think of marrying in the midst 
of all this trouble V 1 

“ I must. Ilda needs a protector, and the old man there 
desires a substitute for his lost son. Ask Ilda herself ; she is 
too intelligent not to confess that in such a sad state of things, 
she has need of me as her husband.” 

“ Courage !” exclaimed the voigt. “ Of what use is it to 
grieve over what is past and beyond remedy? Drain your 
glass, Helgestad ; I will give you another good son, and take 
in exchange your dear daughter. Look to the table, Paul; 
you are the lord of the house. Heads up, Niels ! you have 
been a proud man all your life — be so now.” 

He clapped Helgestad on the shoulder with such force as to 
startle him. “ All will yet turn out well, friend,” he resumed; 
we will live in the happiness of our children, and forget our 
grief. When the court is over, we will all go to Lyngenfiord, 
and quietly celebrate Paul and Ilda’s union.” 

“ Right,” said Helgestad; “the court must be over first. 
Have you secured Afraja, so that he cannot escape ?” 

“ Dismiss all fears ; he is closely confined in a secure cellar. 
Sorcerer as he is, he cannot get out from thence until the 
officers fetch him.” 

“ And where is John Marstrand ?” asked Hannah. 

“ In a clean chamber under the roof. A baron must always 
be alone. We have a small pair of chambers there above, for 
persons of rank.” 

“Horror above and below, and we in the midst of the 
turmoil,” said Hannah, laughing. “ What will be done with 
the two sinners ?” 

“ The Lapp will cost us a good quantity of charcoal,” said 
the voigt. “ Lovman Errickson has already looked to that and 
the tar. Should the Dane also be condemned, we can easily 
provide for his execution.” 

At these fearful words, Ilda started up from her seat. She 
had turned deadly pale ; but Paul, opening the side-door, in a 


A FRA J A. 


535 


friendly tone, said, “ Come, dearest Ilda. Take a seat, for the 
first time, at the table in my house ; and let us be as happy as 
we can.” 

But how could there be joy at this repast? Helgestad had 
become somewhat more animated, from the copious draught he 
had imbibed ; though he was but a faint resemblance of his 
former self. The events of the morrow, and the many curious 
incidents connected with it, formed the principal subject of 
conversation. 

Intelligence had been received at Lyngenfiord, that Klaus 
Hornemann lay sick at Alten ; and the voigt inferred that this 
was the work of heaven, as, otherwise, the pastor would have 
intermeddled in the late proceedings. 

“ I regret, on the contrary,” said Paul, “ that he is not here, 
to satisfy himself of the perfect legality of our actions. He 
has also written me a letter, in which he makes a report to the 
governor, and requests a delay of proceedings. I am sorry that 
I cannot agree with him.” 

“ And why not ?” asked Ilda. 

“Ask my uncle,” he said. “The whole country demands jus- 
tice, and every one understands the subject. Finnmark has 
its supreme court ; and an appeal to the governor would be 
universally condemned. The excitement is so great, that we 
should be regarded as traitors to the rights and interests of the 
land.” 

“ But how can a righteous judgment be pronounced,” said 
Hannah, “ where, as you say, the excitement and bitterness of 
feeling is so great ?” 

Paul shrugged his shoulders. “ I would sincerely regret the - 
delivery of an unjust decision. Afraja's crimes are, however, 
so clear, that there can be but little fear of a mistake.” 

“ Treason, rebellion, homicides, and heathen witchcraft !” 
exclaimed the voigt. 

Helgestad opened his eyes, and smiled as he was wont to do 
in times past. “ Nuh !” said he, “ you must remember to make 


536 


AFEAJA. 


the scoundrel confess where his treasures are. We must extort 
from him what we wish, and I shall thus be compensated for 
all the evil the villain has done me.” 

The secretary was not pleased with this revelation. He 
winked to Ilelgestad to be silent, and, at the same time, said, 
“ If he really possesses treasures, he must confess their place of 
concealment, as his property must compensate the injuries he 
has inflicted. Nothing is to be expected from his companions/’ 

Helgestad eyed him with a long and malicious look. u You 
are a wise fellow, and will hold firmly to your own. You would 
like to have had Loppen, and now you take Balsfiord. But 
keep a sharp look-out, Paul, You have brought the Dane to 
what he is — but many are of the opinion that you act unjustly 
with him. The birds, around, sing curious songs. One sang 
me a ditty — nuh I” he muttered, “you have my word, it can 
never happen again/’ 

“ I hope we understand each other,” said Petersen. “ No 
bird’s song can sow distrust between us.” 

“ Tell me one thing,” said Helgestad, as he opened his large 
eyes. “ Did Bjornarne never speak with you of her — of the 
maiden — of the accursed witch V* 

“ Of Gula — never ! Upon my honor.” 

u The pastor will assert it. There are those who believe” — 
his wild eye flashed upon the secretary, and then he laughed, 
and struck the table. “ It is an infernal lie ! They have 
branded me before all the people. The false Dane has pro- 
claimed it. I hope you have him secure, Paul Petersen, and 
that you will not let him go.” 

His vindictive passion at last gave way to drowsiness. In 
the midst of his remarks, he appeared to lose the thread of his 
discourse; and as he fell back in his chair, he muttered to 
himself, “I wish, however, Bjornarne were here, that he might 
hear what is said.” 

Paul hastened to bring this scene to an end. He spoke in 
a soft and conciliatory tone — hoped that a good, quiet sleep 


AFRAJA. 


537 


would refresh and invigorate him — and he, at last, consigned 
Helgestad to the care of his uncle and the maidens. 

When he was alone in his chamber, he walked up and down, 
threw himself in his arm-chair, and as quickly started up again. 
Then he stood still, as he heard Helgestad’s heavy tread above 
his head : looked up, and laughing, said, “ You are right, 
old fool. I hold fast to what I have, and I will keep a good 
account with you. All that you have saved and treasured up 
is now mine — Loppen, Balsfiord, and your miracle of beauty 
and wisdom — Ilda. What have they insinuated to the old man ? 
What has the cursed pastor written ? Before he can bestir 
himself, all will be over. 

“ And all is over,” said he, as he took a light, and went into 
his office. 

He opened a great, dark closet, black with age, and lighted 
the interior. All kinds of terrible instruments lay upon the 
shelves — screws and iron wedges, rusty chains, and dusty 
cords. He took out one of them, a broad iron band, which 
could be tightened by means of a screw. 

“How ingenious is the mind of man,” he murmured, 
“ when it exerts itself to serve God, and the cause of truth !” 

He heard a noise, and as he looked around, he shrunk back 
with fear. Ilda was standing a few paces before him. 

“ What have you there ?” she asked, before he could speak. 

“ An approved means against falsehood and treason.” 

“ Do you make use of such things ?” 

“ To-morrow they may be employed,” he said. 

She clasped her hands, as in great anguish, and looked at him 
steadily. “ I must speak with you,” she said, softly. 

“Come, then,” said the secretary, shutting up the closet 
“ How gladly, my sweet-heart, will I chat with you !” 

“ Stay,” she said, “ you must hear me on this spot. I have 
a request to make of you ?” 

“ What can it be, that I will not comply with ?” 


538 


A V R A J A . 


Ilda drew a deep breath ; her head seemed, for a moment, to 
sink under its weight; and then she drew herself up, looking 
like some supernatural being, in her black dress. 

“ Save him,” she said, with difficulty uttering the words ; 
“save John Marstrand from the ignominy which threatens 
him, and I will bless you.” 

“ How can I save him, dear Ilda?” 

“You know that he is innocent,” she continued. “Oh! 
by God’s eternal mercy, dismiss that false smile; you know, 
also, that Afraja is not guilty of the crime that you charge him 
with.” 

“I will rejoice at the acquittal of your friend,” said Paul. 

“ You lie, you dissemble !” exclaimed Ilda, and her hands 
trembled with emotion. “ There is an eye which penetrates 
every heart, and an ear which hears every thought. Look at 
me, Paul, and judge yourself.” 

“ That,” he answered, “ I leave to you, and, as I fear, your 
judgment will be cruelly severe.” 

“ No,” she said, taking his hand, “ I will stand by you, what- 
ever may happen. I will serve you as your maid; you shall 
hear no complaint. Take all that I have; take me, myself, 
when you please ; I am your property. But, save the innocent 
man ; save him ! Upon my knees I will swear to obey you.” 

As she kneeled before him, his eyes glowed with rage and 
scorn. “You kneel before me,” he said, in a measured tone, 
as if he wished to prolong her torments ; “ why do you kneel ? 
Speak the truth ; I will listen to you. How can you intercede, 
on your bended knees, for this wretched Bane ?” 

! She bowed down her head, and, after a moment, calmly raised 
herself up, and in a firm tone said in reply — “Because I love 
him.” 

“ Bo you love him yet ?” 

“ Now and forever !” she said. 

He bit his lips. “ Oh you noble soul,” he exclaimed, “how 
candid you can be ! You will love him forever ! And when 


A FRA J A. 


539 


you lie by my side, you will imagine that his arms embrace 
you.” 

“No !” she said, “my misery will always be with me.” 

“ How sorry I am that I must increase it,” he interrupted ; 
“ and how lamentable it would be, if I should to-morrow send 
your tenderly-beloved friend in flames to heaven, with the sor- 
cerer, his associate.” 

Ilda lifted up her arms in an imploring attitude ; but another 
voice behind her at the door, exclaimed, “ That will he not; but, 
it may be, that the devil is nearer to yourself than you think.” 

“ Charming !” cried Paul. “ I thought that the comedy had 
yet another act. You are never wanting, Hannah Fandrem, 
with your jests and insults upon me.” 

“ I hope soon to see all your hypocrisy defeated,” said Han- 
nah, as she approached Ilda. “ I am here for your protection, 
and will speak a word with you in my own way, as I best un- 
derstand how to reach your heart. 

“This cruel, infatuated people, will have its victim. Kill 
the old man, if you dare ; vengeance will not fail to overtake 
you. Many Lapps will cross over to Sweden or to the Frozen 
Ocean, to deliver themselves from your cruelty; trade will 
diminish, the markets will decline, and the government will 
also put a stop to your hangman’s work. Ho as you please, 
you must indeed be short-sighted, if, blinded by hatred, you 
cannot see what will happen, if you make a victim of Mar- 
strand. The government will never pass over in silence the 
death of a nobleman. You will be called to account for it, and 
the sword will be suspended over your own head.” 

“ Let it be,” said Paul, “ until you cut the threads.” 

“Ho not interrupt me,” she continued, “and jest not. “If 
Helgestad were not my cousin, and Ilda not my friend, I would 
have raised my hand against you to-day; but it needs not my 
aid. Beware, false man; I hope your days are numbered. 
Witnesses will rise up against you, who will prove that you are 
the cause of all this trouble. No devices, however ingenious 


540 


AFRAJA. 


can save you from condign punishment. You, who believe in 
nothing, who daily revile the Supreme Being, you seek to de- 
stroy an old man because he is not a Christian, and on a charge 
of practising witchcraft ! But Klaus Hornemann will come 
and stand up against you; and if no one does, I will. Set 
John Marstrand free, or you shall hear from me to-morrow. I 
will enter the court, and cry aloud, ‘This man murdered Bjor- 
narne, and stimulated his passion for Gula to madness, that he 
might be cursed, disinherited, and disowned/ This you well 
know, avaricious man ; and you will be obliged to pay me the 
thirty thousand dollars which Helgestad promised as indemnity 
money if Bjornarne refused me; and by your crafty tricks he 
has done so. Give Herr Marstrand his liberty ; restore him to 
the possession of Balsfiord, of which you wish to rob him, and 
thus you may escape, until you fall into the hands of God. 
Exert yourself for the innocent man, serve him, and perhaps 
he will be silent for Ilda’s sake and her family, touching your 
crimes ; and he may leave the infliction of retributive vengeance 
to heaven. And now I am done with you. Let us go, Ilda. 
Let him show if he has sagacity enough to save himself from 
his own snares.” 

With folded arms, and a sneer on his lips, Paul had listened 
in silence to her remarks ; and some time after she had with- 
drawn, he returned to his chamber. 

“ It is not you whom I fear,” he said. “ Appear when you 
please, a thousand voices will force you to be silent. Whatever 
is to happen will happen.” He took a light and some keys 
from a shelf, and proceeded to a side-room where an officer of 
the court sat by a table, with his head buried in his hands. 
Upon the entrance of the severe judge, he jumped up. 

“ Open the door,” said Petersen. The man slid the bolt 
back, and introduced him to a passage-way, which led down 
some half-dozen steps. The building was a log structure, as all 
the others, but it rested upon massive blocks of stone, forming 
an arched vault. Upon either side were partitions of thick 


AFItAJA. 


541 


plank, one of which was secured by a great lock, which, on 
being opened, Paul entered into a narrow chamber or cell, and 
so low that he could not stand upright in it. He held up the 
lamp, and threw its light upon the shapeless and motionless 
mass in the corner. A chain, firmly secured to the wall, was 
attached to an iron ring, which enclosed the neck of the un- 
happy prisoner, whose head and face, concealed beneath his 
disordered hemp-like hair, were buried in his hands, as he sat 
upon a stone seat, with his elbows on his knees. 

The sorenskiver seated himself near the door, set the light 
down before him on the ground, and then said, in a mild tone, 
“ This is a sad abode, Afraja, for a man who has grown old in 
the fresh air of a gamme. To-morrow is court- day, and God 
have mercy upon you ! You have, thus far, refused to answer ; 
you have obstinately despised all admonition ; and I am now 
come, for the last time, to ask you if you repent, and are of a 
more humble frame of mind. 

“ See,” he continued, as he received no reply, “ it may be 
that I can render you a service. It is a fearful death to be 
burned alive ; and now is the autumn, the season when your 
animals long for the mountains, when the wind blows cold, and 
the seven stars glitter over the Kilpis.” 

A deep-drawn sigh was heard from the dark corner, at the 
sound of which Paul laughed. “ It is better to live,” he re- 
sumed, “ than to be burnt to ashes ; better to beg for mercy, 
than to await your fate like a dumb beast. You are a reflecting 
man. You cannot be foolish enough to dream that your foot 
will ever freely tread again the fjelds, or that your eyes will 
ever again see the brown herds.” — He paused, and then con- 
tinued in a gentle whisper, “I can save you; I alone am able 
to restore you to liberty ; and I will do it, if you are wise.” 

“Will you do it?” asked Afraja, as he lifted up his head for 
the first time, and stroked back his long yellow hair from his 
shrunken face. 

“Poor old fellow,” said Petersen, “you have grown pale; 

46 


542 


AFRAJA. 


but the damp air has done your eyes good — they look as bright 
and large as ever. Yes, I repeat, I will do it. You shall be 
liberated; you shall again have your gamme and animals; you 
shall lie down in the fresh snow, instead of in the flames; but 
you must be wise and open your ears. 

“ That I can accomplish what I attempt,” he continued in 
response to Afraja’ s fixed stare, “all admit. I give you my 
word, that you shall not be committed to the flames, if you 
penitentially fall on your knees to-morrow, declare your witch- 
craft a fraud and superstition, curse your Jubinal with all his 
tribe of gods, beg for the holy baptism, and solicit mercy for 
all your past wickedness. You will be condemned to imprison- 
ment and to be whipped, but I will open this door myself, and 
save your back.” 

“ And you ?” asked the old man. 

“ I — I come to myself last. I have only one thing to ask 
of you. You are old and childless. Mortuno, the gallant 
fellow, is dead, and Gula lies in her grave — out of gratitude, 
you must make me your heir. This is all I ask of you, and it 
is, certainly, but little. You have money; where is it? Open 
your heart, Afraja, and trust me. By heavens ! you will not 
repent it. Be frank, old scoundrel. I know that you have 
precious secrets in your keeping — that you know where are 
hidden mines, and caves of silver, where the pure ore glitters. 
Lie not, for I have proofs !” 

“Yes, Herr,” said Afraja, “you are right. There is more 
silver there than all the reindeer in Finnmark could carry 
away. There, hang long, shining clusters from the roof — there, 
it springs from all the walls, and projects from all the seams of 
the rock. The palace of Jubinal is not more brilliant, and the 
water-trolls which, you say, lie in their grottoes of dazzling 
stones in the bottom of the sea, do not possess such treasures 
as I.” 

The secretary listened with intense interest — his eyes expanded 
wide with a greedy expression — he stretched his head forward, 


APRAJA. 


543 


his hands trembled, and his breast swelled with a consuming 
desire. 

“ Do you know of more than one of such caves,” he inquired, 
as he timidly looked around, through fear that some one might 
overhear him. 

“Many ! Many !” responded Afraja. “ So great, that no 
foot can measure them ; a garden of silver-flowers and plants, 
such as no eye ever saw.” 

“Good!” muttered Petersen hastily; “you will guide me 
to this silver-cave. Swear by your Jubinal, that you will lead 
me there, and I will stand by you.” 

“ Will you, indeed ?” whispered the prisoner. 

“ Rely upon me. You cannot have a better friend.” 

“ You my friend ?” 

“ I tell you, that I will protect you to your end. Look, here 
is a bottle of nectar for you. To-morrow, you shall leave this 
hole; it will go well with you. You shall daily receive meat 
and drink ; and before two weeks shall have elapsed, you will 
be on your mountains.” 

Afraja had risen to his feet; the chain rattled about his iron 
collar, and his slender body tottered, but he held his head 
proudly erect, and his eyes glowed with a strange fire. 

“Take it, and make yourself glad,” said Petersen, “but 
swear first, by Jubinal, that you observe such an oath.” 

“ Sorenskriver,” said the old man, extending his arm, “ I 
know of silver — mountains of silver; no other person is 
acquainted with them; but if I could live until Jubinal’s 
kingdom comes, and were I to burn until Jekel destroys the 
world, you should know nothing of the treasure !” 

“ Remember, you fool,” answered Paul, with a sinister smile, 
“remember, fire does harm.” 

“Wolf as you are, your bloody, vindictive threats do not 
frighten me. Fire is in your eyes — burning fire in your 
veins. You will howl like a wild beast, and I will laugh a« 
you I” He laughed like one possessed. 


544 


AFRAJA. 


After endeavoring for some moments to conquer his rage, 
the secretary said, “Wait till to-morrow, and then we will see 
if you will laugh, miserable creature.” 

“ A curse upon you !” cried Afraja, and such a long, fearful 
curse echoed back again from the rock-bound walls, that Paul, 
unable to restrain his fury, kicked the Lapp with such violence 
as to throw him down. 

“ Until morning !” he exclaimed, shaking his fist, “ when all 
will be over with you.” As he shut the door, Afraja’s yelling 
laugh of scorn resounded after him. 

Paul Petersen was alone in an upper room of the building. 
His face glowed with a fever-heat, and his brain was swollen to 
bursting. In his heart burned an insatiable desire to know and 
to possess the coveted treasure, which overcame the conscious- 
ness that he was unwell. 

He mounted up the steps, and listened to a closely-guarded 
chamber. He noiselessly drew back the bolt, opened the lock, 
and entered. It was also a prison, but a better one than that 
which he had just left. A small cross-barred window let in 
light and air, and on the bed, in the corner, Marstrand lay 
breathing. 

“ There he sleeps !” muttered Paul. “ He can sleep, and 
soundly, too !” 

He advanced to the bed, and, as the light fell upon Mar- 
strand’s face, Paul perceived that he was smiling in his sleep, 
and he heard him murmur, in an audible tone, “ It is you, 
Ilda — you are coming to me.” 

“Wake up ! Wake up !” cried Petersen, shaking the sleeper 
by the arm. “ I have something to say to you.” 

Marstrand awoke. “Why do you disturb me, in the middle 
of the night ?” he said, ill-humoredly. 

“ When we will extricate a man from a falling house, before 
the rafters fall in, we do not think of the time and the hour,” 
responded the secretary. 


AFRA J A. 


545 


“ You would be the last to assist in such a case,” said Mar- 
strand. 

“ I think,” said Paul, “ we have both but little time to 
waste in disputes. Answer me a question, for much depends 
upon it. Afraja, in order to win you over to his criminal pro- 
jects, discovered to you the hiding-place of the silver trea- ^ 
sures ?” 

Marstrand made no reply. 

“Herr Marstrand,” resumed Petersen, “can effect great 
changes, if he will. I pity your fate, and I would gladly do 
something for you. I have promised a certain person to assist 
you.” 

“ I have no need of your protection,” exclaimed the prisoner, 
jumping up. 

Petersen paid no attention to the movement. “We could 
come to an understanding,” he said, in a friendly manner j 
“ even the Balsfiord could belong to you again.” 

“ It is mine, and such it shall remain.” 

“ If you do not prefer to select a better residence. God 
knows how far my sympathy might carry me ! It is not plea- 
sant to be arraigned before an open court, and surrounded by a 
fanatical people ; it would be better, perhaps, to withdraw to a 
distance, and to wait in a quiet house until the storm has blown 
over.” 

“ I would not go, if all the doors stood wide open,” responded 
Marstrand. 

\ “ Good ; remain, then. I hope you may succeed in obtain- 

ing an honorable acquittal, through a skilful defence.” 

“ I hope that lies and malice will be confounded.” 

“ Take my advice, and I will help you, to the best of my 
lability. Had we understood each other better, it would be dif- 
ferent with us now.” 

“Away with all pretence,” said Marstrand. “I think we 
understand each other well enough. To the point, Herr Peter- 
sen. What do you want Y 9 

46 * 2 k 


546 


AFR A JA. 


“ To repeat my question,” replied Paul ; “ where is the sil 
ver cave, to which Afraja conducted you ?” 

“ 1 know nothing of your silver cave.” 

“You know nothing of it?” asked Paul, as he thrust his 
hand into his pocket. Look, this piece of silver was found in 
your coat. It was torn off the rock, to which it was attached ; 
and it resembles those silver flowers which, sometimes, grow in 
rich caves. Has your memory been refreshed ?” 

The prisoner pondered a moment, and then said, “No, I 
know nothing of it ! What I know, could not help you; and 
if I knew of what you wish for, I would never yield to your 
request.” 

“No?” 

“No, never!” 

“ Think what you do.” 

“Deceit, and nothing hut deceit,” said Marstrand. “You 
will learn nothing from me.” 

“ Will you not accept my hand ? Shall Ilda have implored 
me in vain, upon her bended knees, for your salvation ?” 

“ Miserable man !” cried Marstrand ; “ upon her knees be- 
fore you ? You lie ! I could beat your brains out, if I did 
not know that you were the greatest villain on the earth.” 

He repelled him from him ; and the secretary hurriedly drew 
back. 

“ Now it is over !” he muttered, as he ascended the steps. 
“ He shall die, even if the king were his cousin !” 


A F It A J A . 


547 


CHAPTER XXV. 

The morning of the court-day broke, and it was a bright, clear 
day. Tromsoe is situated upon an island, which is separated 
from the main land by an arm of the sea. It lies close to a flat 
shore, behind which rises a naked height, which was then much 
more bare than now, as some structures have been erected upon 
it. Three to four hundred people dwelt in this chief settle- 
ment of Finnmark — mostly fishermen, some mechanics, and 
the serving-people of the traders ; but the population had in- 
creased tenfold, on this day — for multitudes had gathered 
there, from all parts, far and near. On the preceding day there 
was, already, a concourse from the land; during the night, 
many a boat steered into Trommensund; and when the sun 
arose, the water was alive with large and small craft. From the 
islands and the fiords, they repaired thither — undervoigts, 
clerks of court, pastors, and traders, with their wives and chil- 
dren, as to a festival ; besides a large number of the half-savage 
people, from the three or four races of people who had settled 
here. 

They established themselves upon the open square, in the 
huts and shops, and along the shore, where they feasted and 
drank, and cursed the obstinate heathen who lay in the dun- 
geon, without uttering a word; and they observed, with joy, 
the heaps of billets of wood that were piled up in the court- 
yard. The noise, laughter, and greetings of the new-comers 
increased, the later it grew; the throng gradually pressed 


548 


AFRAJA. 


towards the court-house, and formed a circle around the 
square, in the midst of which a somewhat elevated stage had 
been erected. A table stood upon it, covered with red cloth, 
surrounded by chairs; behind the seat of the judges were 
several long benches; before the table were two rude wooden 
seats ; and in the corner was another table, upon which lay a 
red cover. 

The aristocracy had found accommodations in the surround- 
ing houses, and in the court-house. All the windows were filled 
with maidens and women, in their finest attire ; head pressed 
upon head around the court-square, in glazed hats, and caps of 
skin and fur; and the multitude of hard, weather-beaten faces 
of the men, and the women in long curls, and various-colored 
garments, with children upon their shoulders, and sucklings 
at the breast, formed a curious and motley spectacle. 

A bell was suddenly heard, and the procession issued from 
the court-house, in the van of which was the voigt, in embroi- 
dered coat, with undervoigts and officers of the court, followed 
by his aids, and the secretary, bearing the records and docu- 
ments; in the rear were the six associate judges, and the chief 
traders, in their long, dark coats. 

The voigt took the middle seat, the secretary sat on his left, 
and the associate judges on both sides. The other officers, 
Lovmen, Lensmen, and favored persons, took places on the 
benches. 

There was an universal and profound silence, and all eyes 
were fastened upon the voigt, who rose up, and striking the 
table with a white staff, said, in a loud voice, u The court is 
opened ! May God Almighty be with us, and assist us to a 
righteous judgment ! Bring the prisoners before the court.” 

After some minutes’ delay, they were brought forward, and a 
sullen murmur, rising and falling like the distant roar of the 
sea, accompanied the procession. The women leaned forward 
from the windows, the men pressed over their heads, and the 
whole multitude violently swayed about in their eagerness to 


AFRAJA. 


549 


catch a glimpse of the chief actors of the drama. It would 
be difficult to decide which of them excited most interest among 
the spectators. The old, deformed, and bent Afraja could 
hardly sustain himself on his feet. His chains had been re- 
moved, and he had been presented with a clean Lappish blouse. 
His grey head was unbared to the air; his long hair fell over 
his shoulders ; and his countenance, despite his sufferings and 
emaciation, was dignified and impressive. His eyes roved over 
the faces of the hostile and infuriated mass around him, with a 
clear and unshrinking gaze. 

When he ascended the low stage, his companion in misfor- 
tune gave him his arm ; for no one else would assist him. Even 
this compassionate action seemed to increase the prevailing 
animosity. 

“ Shame upon you !” cried a woman, who stood before him. 
“ See how he presses him to himself,” exclaimed many. . “ He 
has a fine appearance,” said a stalwart fisherman, u and one can 
hardly believe he is a Dane. He is all false.” 

Marstrand wore his plain blue coat, as a Gaard proprietor; 
but there are figures which, even in the rags of a beggar, lose 
nothing of their native grace. His tall, slender figure, proudly 
towered up; his beautiful brown hair was bound with a riband. 
When he reached the top of the stage, he seemed to be in- 
clined to speak ; but he sat down, and waited until the poor 
Lapp prisoner had taken his seat. 

The secretary now stood up and began his discourse. After 
a general introduction, in which he mentioned that, for a long 
time, there had been no trial for a capital offence, and that the 
high court of Finnmark was assembled for the execution of the 
law and the maintenance of order, he described the wicked ac- 
tions of the Lapps for a considerable period, and then he spoke 
of Afraja as one of the worst plagues of all honorable, well- 
disposed people; of his intrigues and cunning malice; and 
after he had given a long description of the various attempts to 
convert him to Christianity, he arraigned him for his obdurate 


550 


AFR A J A. 


paganism, his sorcery, and criminal schemes to spread murder 
and fire throughout Finnmark. 

“ For all this,” he continued, “ witnesses are present who 
have made affidavit of its truth, whom you shall hear, worthy 
men of the court. As to the second person accused, John 
Marstrand, baron of the Danish nobility, and formerly officer 
and chamberlain of His Majesty Christian VI., there exists 
the strongest suspicion that he was cognisant of all the evil 
purposes of Afraja, and had leagued with him for their execu- 
tion.” * 

When the secretary pronounced his name, and almost before 
the sentence was finished, in a firm and loud voice Marstrand said, 
“ Every word that you have spoken of me is a lie, and he who 
has devised this accusation is a calumniator !” 

“ Silence !” said Paul Petersen, “ until it is time to speak.” 

“Now is the time,” rejoined Marstrand. “I will speak; I 
will declare before this court, that I am an innocent, slandered 
man, and that my life and property are wickedly assailed. I 
hurl back the accusation upon him from whom it has proceeded. 
You, Paul Petersen, you have spun the threads of this web of 
lies, and you hold it in hand. I accuse you as the first and 
worst criminal in the country !” 

The surprise at this bold conduct and declaration caused a 
general silence. The spectators looked in dumb amazement on 
the two men. The tall and stately figure of the Dane, with his 
expressive face, and his bold resolution, made a much different 
impression from that of the secretary, who, for some moments, 
appeared to be greatly embarrassed, and at a loss what course 
to take. But he soon recovered his self-possession. His dark 
blood-shot eyes tempered their ferocity of expression; hate and 
anger retreated from his countenance; and, as he extended his 
arm, the fearful cry which had arisen among the people, after 
the momentary silence, was immediately hushed. 

“You cannot injure me, Herr Marstrand,” he said; “for 
you are a fallen man in the eye of the law. I saved your life 


551 


% 

AFRA JA. 

■at the Lyngen market, and would do it now, if a popular in- 
dignation should he excited by your disgraceful conduct. Be 
quiet, you men ! and you, Herr, do not make your cause worse, 
for you have enough already to bear.” 

An universal grunt of approbation followed this remark. 
Marstrand saw around him nothing but dark, infuriated, and 
menacing faces. “ I speak for the last time,” he exclaimed, 
to protest against these proceedings ! I was not only a Danish 
nobleman, an officer, a chamberlain of the king, but I am such 
now. No court can pronounce a judgment upon the accusation 
preferred against me, but that at the head of which stands the 
king. Do what you please against me, but rest assured that it 
will not go unavenged. I appeal to the grace of his Majesty, 
to the high Council of State, and to the Governor of Norway !” 

These exclamations did not fail to make an impression. The 
multitude responded, indeed, with an outcry, and with objur- 
gations, of all kinds, against the privy council and the governor ; 
but there were reflecting persons, who, on hearing the name 
and threatened vengeance of the king, remembered the odious 
light in which the privileges of Finnmark had, for a long time, 
been regarded. It was often attempted, but not entirely ac- 
complished, to increase the crown officers, and, of a conse- 
quence, the taxes, and to more completely subject the country 
to the will of the king and the governor. Advantage could be 
taken of this occasion to annihilate the privileges of the pro- 
vince, and to reduce it into complete subjection. 

The sorenskriver was not, however, moved by such considera- 
tions. “These objections cannot be admitted,” he said. 
“Here is our law, here are our rights ! Will you not answer?” 
“No !” 

“ And you, Afraja — do you persist in your silence ?” 

“ Let me hear what I should answer,” replied the Lapp. 

“ Do you deny that you yet adhere to your pagan gods ?” 

“ No,” replied the old man, in a loud tone. “ All my fore- 
fathers worshipped Jubinal, and so do I.” 


552 


AFRA J A. 


“ You are a contemner of Christian instruction. You make 
a jest of the Most High, and the church; and you pray and 
offer sacrifice in the Saitas.” 

“ I worship and sacrifice in the holy enclosure of stone, which 
is consecrated to the universal Father.” 

“And you have also encouraged your people to the same 
practices.” 

“ I have neither persuaded nor threatened any one,” said the 
old man. “ Jubinal’s white dove sits upon the shoulders of 
those who hear the flap of its wings. Jubinal is not a God who 
procures children by force and cruel punishment.” 

His clear eye looked upon the pastor, who was sitting with 
Heinrick Sture, upon the bench ; and a smile overspread his 
face, as he heard their fanatical threats. 

“ So you do not deny your horrible heathenism,” resumed 
the secretary ; “ but do you deny that you are a sorcerer ?” 

“No !” replied Afraja. 

“ How ! do you confess it ?” 

“I am a Seidmann. I am acquainted with magic spells. 
The gods listen to me !” said Afraja, in a grave and deliberate 
manner. 

The whole multitude was astounded. Amid a noiseless 
silence, Paul Petersen inquired, “ Do you also confess that you 
have practised witchcraft and sorcery ?” 

“ Many of your Christians came to me,” said the Lapp, “ to 
purchase the assistance of my gods. They wanted their cattle, 
their grass, and their oats to thrive, or they wished luck for 
their nets, and a good wind for their sails. Your God could 
not give them all this.” 

“ Will you blaspheme, you wretch !” exclaimed Heinrick 
Sture. 

The people kept silent, for there were many among them 
who had bought all sorts of fortune of Afraja. 

“ Do you know this picture ?” asked the secretary, as he took 


AFRAJA. 


553 


from liis pocket a rudely-formed picture of metal, which the 
unfortunate Olaf had once received. 

“ I know it.” 

“What is it?” 

“I gave it to your companion,” said Afraja, “when you 
said to me, he must have a good wind.” 

“ Can you also make a good wind ?” 

“I can.” 

“ But you lied. There came wild weather, and Olaf was 
drowned ; and with him, Bjornarne, Helgestad’s only son, and 
your own child.” 

Afraja’ s head trembled with emotion ; but as he raised him- 
self up, his eyes gleamed, and with increased strength, he re- 
plied, “I knew what would happen. I saw signs in heaven, 
which none else saw ; and I heard Pekel’s roaring voice.” 

“ So you sold this witch-charm to destroy those persons ?” 

“ I wished to destroy you, for you are more cruel than the 
wolf and the hear !” exclaimed Afraja. 

“ You thus committed wilful murder,” continued Petersen, 
with unshaken composure. “ Hate me as much as you please, 
hut tell me why you wished to cause the death of innocent 
people ?” 

“ Who is innocent among you ?” asked Afraja. “ Are you 
not all robbers, who have taken our property from us ? Bo you 
not hate us ? Bo you not torment us ? Bo you not despise 
us, as if we were venomous reptiles ? Are not all your actions 
violent and unjust; and did you not, blood-thirsty, false-hearted 
man, break into my gamme ? and has your uncle there, your 
grandfather, and your whole race, not acted as infamously ?” 

“And for this reason, it was your intention to drive us from 
the country ? For this reason, you would have made a begin- 
ning at Lyngen market, had not your nephew, Mortuno, been 
wanting ?” 

Afraja dropped his head on his breast, and his hands clasped 
together. “Jubinal’s arms have received my children,” he 
47 


554 


AFRAJA. 


said ; “ they live with him in ever-blooming gardens. I shall 
soon be with him, and I fear you not. You will perish in tor- 
ment and shame. Woe to your race ! May it end like you l” 

“ Do you confess that you intended to fall upon the Norwe- 
gian people with fire and sword ?” asked the secretary. 

“As the wolf is driven off who falls upon our herds, so 
would I chase you away,” answered the old man. 

“ And now confess, as you are so bold,” exclaimed Petersen, 
“ confess aloud ; “ What intercourse had you with J ohn Mar- 
strand, of Balsfiord ?” 

Afraja turned to the Dane, and as he lifted up his hands, he 
said, “ Blessings upon you; blessings and joy! Because you 
were good and just, was I your friend and servant.” 

“ Did you not give him money, to pay his debts V 

“ I did so, because you and Helgestad sought to ruin him.” 

“ And what did he give you in exchange?” 

“ I asked nothing — I was grateful.” 

“ Lie not, traitor ?” exclaimed the secretary, with wild, roll- 
ing eyes. “ He made a compact with you ; you promised him 
your daughter, with whom he had long had an intrigue. He 
knew of your crime, and sold you kegs full of powder, which 
I, myself, found in your hut, and destroyed. Out with the 
truth, for it is clear as the light of day. Confess, or I will force 
you to an avowal !” 

“ You will force me to confess?” asked the old man. “You 
see, I conceal nothing. What can you do with me ?” 

An officer, at a sign from the secretary, removed the top of 
the neighboring table ; and rough and cruel as the people, for 
the most part, were, a cold shudder ran through the whole 
mass. There lay exposed to view the old screws, iron vices, 
the sharp wedges, and pincers, which had been preserved in the 
old closet, in the court-house. 

“ By authority of law, we are permitted, and it is our duty to 
proceed to apply the pains of the Question, when an obstinate 
culprit will not confess. I warn you, Afraja, and I ask you 


A T RAJA. 


555 


once again, if Jolm Marstrand, of Balsfiord, did not know what 
you were doing ; and if he was not in combination with you, 
for the execution of plots, for which he provided you with 
powder and lead ?” 

u On my honor ! On my conscience ! Before the presence 
of the eternal God, I knew nothing of it ! ” exclaimed Mar- 
strand. “ Who could believe such an unheard-of and dishonor- 
able thing of me V f 

u Seize him, officers l” shouted the secretary. u Away with 
him ! Take the screw l” 

“ Hold V’ cried a voice from out the circle of spectators. 
“ Hold, in the name of God IV 

Paul Petersen clinched his hands, his eyes glared fiercely, 
and his countenance wore an expression of pain, which seemed 
to torture him to the quick. He recognised the voice and the 
man, to whom the throng gave place, and whom he had least 
expected to see ; at the sight, he was seized with an indescriba- 
ble rage and fear. 

u Klaus Hornemann !” he said, to the voigt. u What does 
the fanatic want ? I will make him repent it, if he officiously 
meddles in this affair.” 

The voigt leaned towards him, and they both spoke in secret 
with the associate judges, pastors, and government officers, 
while the old missionary pressed forward to the steps. In his 
black dress, over which fell his long, white locks — his venerable 
face upraised — and his large, blue eyes, full of noble enthu- 
siasm — he commenced, with great impressiveness, to appeal 
for pity. 

“ Voigt of Tromsoe !” he said, “I beg you to adjourn this 
court. I have been lying sick, otherwise I would have come 
here sooner. When I heard of the day of this trial, I got up 
from bed — and I hope I have not arrived too late.” 

“ Wby should I adjourn the court V > asked the voigt, in a 
severe and excited tone. 


556 


APR A J A. 


“ Because there is much investigation yet to be made in this 
affair.” 

“ There is but one point yet to he inquired into,” interrupted 
the secretary; “and that is, whether John Marstrand knew of 
the crime of the Lapp. Afraja himself has acknowledged that 
he is a heathen, a contemner of the church, and a sorcerer. 
He has also confessed, that with a view to do him harm, he sold 
an idolatrous charm to Olaf Yeigand, and that he had formed a 
plan to murder all the Normans and their dependants, or to 
drive them from the country. Did he not make this con- 
fession ?” 

“ Yes, yes,” shouted numerous voices, and the associate 
judges nodded assent. 

“ My God !” exclaimed the old pastor, “ do not enter with 
him into judgment. Yes, he is a heathen ; but can the eyes 
of the blind be opened with a sword ? Foolish, presumptuous 
man ! how can you call yourself a sorcerer? Were you such — 
did you possess superhuman power, and did you hold commu- 
nion with spirits and gods, you would not be sitting abandoned 
here ; you would be able to set yourself at liberty.” 

“ The devil deceives his own children \ y> exclaimed Heinrick 
Sture. 

“ Judges and gentlemen,” said Hornemann, “ listen not to 
such accusations. Woe to those who walk in darkness, for 
they will have no part in the light. But our God is a God of 
love, who pities the weak and erring. Leave it to Him to 
reform and punish.” 

“ They must be judged,” exclaimed another spiritual per- 
sonage. 

“ Yes,” said Klaus, “ by him, the high and righteous Judge, 
who pities the weak.” 

“ The law is here to punish criminals,” said the voigt; “ we 
are here to perform our duties, and cannot suffer any one to 
deride our authority.” 

“Herr Voigt,” responded the pastor, “I honor and esteem 


AFRAJA. 


557 


tlie power which is assembled in the king’s name ; but I come 
from a higher Master, who commands me to speak without 
fear. There is no law in existence which can be applied to 
pagan worship and to sorcery.” 

“ You are wrong !” interrupted Petersen. “We have the 
code of King Christian the Fourth, and his decrees concerning 
paganism and witchcraft, which are all in full activity with us at 
the present day.” 

“ And these cruel edicts and punishments, which originated 
in a dark and barbarous age, would you apply them now ? You 
cannot, and you dare not !” 

“ Here are worthy, honorable men enough ; here are pastors, 
servants of God, as you yourself ; here are judges and gentle- 
men from all parts of the country, and here are assembled Gaard 
proprietors and the people. I ask whether we cannot try and 
punish, according to the law, this Lapp, who confesses his 
crime ?” 

“ Right ! Sorenskriver, right !” cried many voices. A part 
sprang from their seats with uplifted arms ; others fell into a 
fury ; Heinrick Sture pressed towards the old pastor, and several 
attempted to seize him, and drag him from the stage. 

“ In the name of God ! In the name of our Saviour !” 
exclaimed the old man, “ you shall not prevent me. Hear me, 
all ! Hear me ! You know me, my course of life.” 

“We are acquainted with your course of life among the 
Lapps, and how you always protected them,” cried Sture. 

“Commit no injustice — shed not blood !” continued Klaus. 
“ If any one must judge, it must be the representative of the 
King in Norway. Discontinue this court, inform him of what 
has occurred, and leave it to him to decide.” 

“ Do you think,” said Petersen maliciously, “ you could 
succeed in this manner? For years you have made reports in 
praise of the virtue of the Lapps, and in condemnation of our 
cruelty. We, however, commit no injustice. We, the autho- 
rities of this country, esteem and honor the law.” 

47* 


558 


AFRAJA. 


The secretary had struck a chord, which moved every heart. 

The defence of the rights of the country against the governor, 
the maintenance of its freedom and privileges, and a resolution 
not to be overruled by the decrees and commands from Copen- 
hagen and Trondheim, was the construction put upon this 
declaration of the secretary. 

A furious outcry arose. u Hear me ! Hear me !” vainly 
implored Klaus Hornemann. 

“ Priest of Baal, who has forsaken his God !” shouted Heinrick 
Sture. 

“ Breach of the peace ! Insult to the court !” exclaimed tho 
signiors on the benches. 

“ Lead him away, officers !” commanded the voigt. 

The old man, in his humiliation, wept bitterly. In the 
anguish of his heart, he raised his hands to heaven, exclaiming, 
“ My God ! protect the innocent I” 

A profound silence ensued, in which his voice could be heard. 
“ If I cannot save the sinful Lapp,” he said, “ I will testify on 
behalf of John Marstrand. Pile not crime on crime. The 
governor alone can judge him. Bo not invite the vengeance 
of God and man upon you ! I will produce proofs that he is 
innocent.” 

“ Out with him ! Take him in custody,” cried Paul Peter- 
sen, u his testimony is of evil import.” 

The officers of the court surrounded him. “I myself — I 
myself,” he exclaimed, as he was dragged out of the court, 
“will complain of these atrocities before the throne of the 
king.” 

The consultation was held in the midst of the tumult and 
outcry. The secretary, for some time, lay back exhausted in his 
seat. He was red from pain and anxiety, but he at length 
jumped up, and spoke in a violent manner. The associate 
judges, however, did not appear to share his opinion. He sat 
down again, and endeavored to compose himself, and to reflect, 
and then stood up, listened, and took the vote. 


APRAJA. 


559 


When quiet was restored, the table upon which the fearful 
instruments of torture lay. was covered; he then turned to 
Afraja. 

The old man had sat as quiet as if he had not observed the 
noise ; and when he heard his sentence, his face was directed 
upon the judge with a firm and friendly expression. He 
laughed to himself, and never before seemed so much at ease. 

“As you have confessed,” said Paul Petersen, “that you 
are a pagan and a sorcerer, and that you devised an infamous 
plot to expel with fire and sword all the Normans from this 
country, you shall be led to the judgment place at Tromsoe, 
where your impious body shall be burned to ashes, and scattered 
to the winds. This shall be done to-day, as long as the sun is 
in the heavens. As to you, J ohn Marstrand of Balsfiord, you 
shall witness the execution of this sentence, and then be 
banished forever from the land ; and as a further punishment, 
you are to be carried to Trondheim in chains, where the go- 
vernor of Norway will deal with you as he may see fit. Such 
is the judgment of the high court of Tromsoe, in the name of 
the king, and according to the laws of the land, well-grounded 
evidence, and our strict duty to man and God !” 


560 


AFRAJA. 


CHAPTER XXVI. 

Evening was approaching. The sun looked red upon the 
high mountain peaks, which rose around the Tromsoesund. A 
blue mist hung over the ravines, and the city was mysteriously 
silent ) the houses seemed deserted ; not a human being was to 
be seen ; no cowering, smoking Quane on the shore-steps ; no 
fisherman on the water, and no women at the doors. Nothing 
but empty boats, rocking on the swelling water, and closed 
windows around the still square. 

Suddenly a long wild cry of a thousand voices broke from 
the hill-side, resounded over the land and sea, and was echoed 
back and back again from the dark mountains, until it grew 
weaker and weaker, and died away in the distance. A column 
of smoke rose up, as if issuing from an immense chimney. 
Heavy and black, it whirled around, illuminated occasionally 
by jets of flame, which, shooting up from the earth, flashed 
across it, and disappeared again. The earth was covered by 
the smoke which enveloped the multitude of people, as if it 
would conceal their deeds ; but above the black veil was the 
pure light of the sun. Great white birds flew athwart the blue 
sky; they bore Afraja’s soul to the gardens of Jubinal. 

There were only three persons in the court-house, who fell 
upon their knees on hearing the shouts, and wept. The old 
pastor, Klaus Hornemann, was there, who had been ordered by 
the voigt, under severe threats, not to leave the house, until 
permission was given him ; and Ilda and Hannah kneeled by 
his side. 

“All-merciful Father !” prayed the venerable man, “gra- 
ciously receive into thy hands all that is immortal of him. Oh ! 


A F R A J A . 


561 


my God, be with thy creature in his extremity. Cool the 
flames, call him to thee, alleviate his pains, as thou didst those 
of the crucified Redeemer.” 

“ The wretched murderers !” cried Hannah, starting to her 
feet. u Why am I not a man ! Why have I no power ! Where- 
fore can God permit such unheard-of cruelty to be practised 1” 

“ Who can fathom the ways of God !” said Klaus, sighing. 

“ God, if thou art God,” exclaimed Hannah Fandrem, with 
intense passion ; “ if thou art just, and a being with eyes to see 
wickedness and crime, send down thy avenging angel !” 

u Pray not for vengeance, dear daughter,” mildly replied the 
missionary ; “ pray for humility, faith, and light. Oh !” he 
continued, “ unless man in his rude imperfection were instructed 
and improved through fearful examples ! Perhaps it was to 
happen so, and these cruelties were necessary, in order to put 
an end to them forever. The news of them will everywhere 
produce a feeling of horror and consternation, and the terrible 
laws will at length be condemned and repealed. Oh, my poor 
children ! Is not human nature like a wild field full of 
thorns ? Does not the history of humanity show us, that every 
step in the path of improvement must be paid for with blood 
and sorrow ? We dare not question or find fault with the views 
of the eternal wisdom of the Creator. He has ordered that 
such events shall take place. No one lives and dies in vain ; 
the Lord has decreed his fate, and his end was as it ought 
to be.” 

“ That may be a consolation in faith,” replied Plannah, “ but 
I cannot admit it where injustice is done. John Marstrand 
lives; they wish to carry him in chains to Trondheim; and God 
knows if he will ever reach there. I will accompany him, and 
will never leave his side ; though another should do this,”she 
continued in a low tone, and with a glance at Ilda. 

“That is also a work which I have to accomplish,” said 
Klaus. “ Yes, my child, let us unite to take care of our friend, 

2 L 


562 


A F 11 A J A . 


and ease his lot. I am certain his sufferings will end in Trond- 
heim ; the governor will be a just judge.” 

“ And you, Ilda, will you yet think of nothing but submis- 
sion and obedience V* asked Hannah. 

“ I obey the will of God,” was the gentle answer. 

“ Oh !” exclaimed Hannah, “obey also the voice in your 
heart, which tells what you ought to do.” 

“ Has he not shown you his power ?” continued Ilda. “ Has 
not his almighty hand been suddenly felt in your dark ways, 
and has he not lighted up your path ?” 

“ No, Ilda. He has visited your father with retribution ; 
he has set me free from him, to whom I was a plague, and in 
his torment, I forgot my despair ; but he has not restored to 
me — what was mine. 

“ And Ilelgestad,” she continued, as Ilda did not speak, “ is 
he not gone to witness with pleasure the death of the victim, 
whose wealth he would divide with the murderer ? Has he not 
here, in your own hearing, agreed with the fearful bridegroom 
as to how they both should possess the Balsfiord ; and how 
Marstrand’s property should at last be yours ? Did you not see 
how Ilelgestad’ s avarice revived, in his half-dead face ? Has 
he not already almost forgotten Bjornarne in this insatia- 
ble passion for riches, and will you live with this insane, 
criminal man, subject yourself to his will, and yet think it is 
the will of God ?” - 

“ My place is by my father,” said Ilda. “ Oh, my noble, 
beloved friend, strengthen me, that I may be able to bear the 
burden which has been laid upon me.” 

At this moment, a cannon-shot thundered through the air, 
and its powerful echo was answered by the shouts of the multi- 
tude, who thronged the streets on the edge of the harbor, on 
their return from the bloody scene on the hill. 

Two vessels were coming up the sound under full sail. One 
was a brig-of-war, and the other a sloop. Both carried the 
government flag. The Danish cross fluttered in the evening 


APR A J A. 


563 


light, and the decks were covered with armed men, soldiers 
and sailors. 

The people looked at the ships with intense curiosity, 
indulging in all sorts of conjectures as to their unexpected 
appearance. Some voices bade them welcome; a disorderly 
mass of people began to shout, and waved their hats. Others 
said it was a pity that the spruce soldiers had not been present 
at the court, and had not witnessed the burning of the sorcerer ; 
and more reflecting persons whispered it was well that all was 
over. 

In the meantime, the voigt approached the shore with a suite 
of pastors and the principal families. Broad-shouldered men, 
with their wives and children, in close array, followed. They 
were in part occupied by the remembrance of the fearful 
tragedy and its incidents ; and were curious to know the mean- 
ing of the cannon-shot. %The pastor of Lyngenfiord spoke to all 
that would give him a hearing, of the blasphemous impenitence 
of the old heathen, who had insultingly repelled his proffered 
assistance, and derided his admonitiotf.' [jjjjjTou all heard his 
dreadful laughter in the midst of the flames, he said ; /^those 
who stood near me, saw how the devil took the sorcerer* in his 
arms, and carried him off to the eternal lake of brimstone. In 
a moment, he had disappeared in a cloud of smoke and flame 
that burst up from hen.” 0 ^ 

There were credulous persons enough who- listened withf& 
shudder, and were comforted % Heinrick Sture’s animadver- 
sions; in the rear of this company, however, followed the 
sorenskriver, Petersen, who was slowly and . with difficulty led 
along by Helgestad. But he overcame alThis illness and suffer- 
ing, and they who saw his feverish, flushed face, and heard him 
laugh, had no idea of his internal pain. 

“ Now,” said he, “ we have settled matters. On Thursday, 
dear father-in-law, the marriage must iake place. I can wait 
no longer.” 


564 


A FRA J A. 


“ And you must bring the affair at Balsfiord to a close. I 
must have the Balsfiord.” 

“Well, insatiable man,” exclaimed Petersen, “you shall 
have it. I give you my hand and word, that it shall be yours 
in two weeks.” 

Helgestad burst into a fierce laugh, came to a stand, and 
looked around him. At that moment, Marstrand was led by. 
Officers of justice surrounded him, but his step was firm, and 
his countenance calm and fearless. When he came opposite to 
the two men, he fixed his eyes with such contempt and scorn 
upon them, that Helgestad ceased laughing, and the secretary 
bit his lips in rage. 

“ He is as insolent a cock as ever,” said Niels ; and with his 
former shrewdness, he added, “ I hope you know of some means 
of preventing his return to Trondheim. It would be a pity 
for you and for me. I hate him ! i I must surely have the 
Balsfiord.” 

“ You shall be secure, and you may sleep quietly,” responded 
Paul. You hat^ him, but I love him so dearly, that I will 
not ^separate froiff him sg. easily. When my marriage takes 
place,' lie shall be there;; And when I live here with my sweet 
Ilda, I will have him in the house as a witness of my happiness. 
Behind lock and key, indeed, but yet as a witness. At present, 
it is too late in the year, &nd the voigt cannot send him to 
the south before the spring, by which time much good may 
happen to him.” 

Niels’ eyes sparkled with delight. He perfectly compre- 
hended the calculations of Paul, and with his best grunt and 
grin of former days, r He said, “Nuh ! you have no superior in 
the country. Do what you will, you swim on the surface ; but 
I will have the Balsfiord; I must have it, and then, then”-— He 
suddenly grasped his forehead, as if he had lost the thread of 
his thoughts, and murmured to himself, “ I wish, however, that 
Bjbrnarne were here, arid that he would come soon !” 

At this moment, another cannon was discharged, and Peter- 


A F R A J A . 


565 


Ben laughingly exclaimed, “ What fool of a coast-guard is 
shooting away his powder there ? Let him wait till Thursday, 
when we will invite him to the wedding.” 

They had reached the houses, when they met the voigt 
returning to them with a grave face. “ Come quickly,” said 
he, “we have strange guests. Two vessels have come to 
anchor, close at hand, both of them royal men-of-war ! They 
have put out boats, and swarm with red-coats.” 

“ They are also coming to my wedding,” said Paul, smiling. 
“ What the deuce, uncle ! do you, yourself a soldier, fear sol- 
diers ?” 

“ They bode us no good,” muttered the dignitary. 

“ Let it be evil, then, and let us retaliate it. Have we not 
arms enough ? Are not the people of Finnmark with us; and 
are there not enough upon the ground ? Come, uncle, keep 
your heatl erect ; Hswill teach these red-coats manners.” 

AJou cTroll of tne drum interrupted their conversation ; and, 
wheijpthey reached the landing, they met a company of soldiers 
thafhad just landed. Several officers were engaged in drawing 
them up in order, and a large circle of spectators surrounded 
them. The curiositff was intense and universal. Even the 
officers of justice, with their prisoner, stood still, and looked 
on from a distance, as the voigt, secretary, pastors, and the 
chief people, approached the commanding officer. 

The voigt took off his gold-laced hat, made a low bow with 
* wide swing of his three-cornered chapeau , and, in an osten- 
tatious manner, addressed the officers as follows : 

“ My dear sirs, officers of our most gracious Majesty, I bid 
you welcome to Tromsoe. As, however, I have received no 
intelligeflec of your unexpected visit, permit me to ask whence 
you come, and what is your purpose ?” 

The grim old captain did not appear to be particularly in- 
clined to enter into conversation. He gave a side-glance at the 
voigt, and carelessly said, “ All that I know is, that we sailed 
from TJtemsoe ; all else is the affair of the commander.” 

48 


5GG 


AFRAJA. 


“ And who is the commander ?” 

“ There he comes,” responded another officer. 

A boat, bearing a pendant, put off from the brig, in the 
stern of which stood a slender young naval officer, wearing a 
plumed hat with broad borders. Another person in citizen’s 
dress was alongside of him. No one knew these strangers, but 
as the voigt, with his companions, arrived at the landing, the 
soldiers presented arms, and a blast was blown on the trum- 
pet, by way of salute. The officer quickly ascended the steps, 
and with a sharp and frowning countenance he looked upon the 
greeting dignitary. 

“ Are you the voigt of Tromsoe ?” he inquired. 

“Yes, sir.” 

“ And are you the secretary, his nephew ?” 

“ I am,” replied Paul. “ But who are you ?” 

The officer proudly smiled, “The adjutant of the* (Governor 
of Norway, who has sent me hither to loolrafter your proceed- 
ings in this country.” 

“ Bahlen !” cried a voice from the crowd. A tumult arose, 
and chains clanked. Marstrand had driven back the officers 
and set himself free. 

“ What does this mean V* exclaimed the commissioner. “ An 
officer, a chamberlain of the king, and a nobleman, in chains? 
Who has dared to commit this outrage V* 

“I!” replied Paul; “I recommend you to respect the law 
and the sentence! This man, John Marstrand of Balsfiord, 
has been condemned to be sent to Trondheim in chains, because 
he is an arch-traitor.” 

“Arch-traitor !” said Dahlen. “ Have you, my poor friend, 
sunk to such a depth of degradation ?” <*** 

“ You know that I am incapable of committing such a crime,” 
replied Marstrand. 

“ Off with the chains !” exclaimed the commissioner. “ Alas ! 
I have arrived too late to save the old man whom you have, 
murdered; but tremble for the examination, the wrihtof the 


A F 11 A J A . 


567 


king, and the punishment. Yoigt of Tromsoe, and you, Herr 
Secretary, I arrest you in the name of his Majesty l” 

“You, me — -You arrest me!” cried Petersen. His eyes 
gleamed with rage, and his limbs trembled. “ Countrymen ! 
Friends !” he exclaimed, “ will you suffer your rights to be out- 
raged and trodden under foot by soldiers ?” 

At a sign from Dahlen, a dozen grenadiers sprang upon the 
voigt and secretary. The remainder of the company advanced 
with fixed bayonets to the right and left; the people rushed 
back on one another; and the same scenes occurred among 
them as they had practised upon the Lapps. Panic-struck, 
they fled before this armed demonstration. The threatened 
vengeance of the king resounded in their ears, and no voice 
dared to oppose it. Those who had raved the loudest were the 
first to draw back, wished themselves far away, and threw all 
the blame upon the accursed Paul Petersen, his uncle, and his 
hangers-on. The door of the court-house was now free, and 
Hannah came out of it on the arm of the person who had ac- 
companied Dahlen, followed by Ilda and old Klaus. 

Hannah flew with a scream, and with open arms, to meet 
her lover. She gazed upon him as upon an image of a dream, 
as a dazzling meteor, that shoots athwart the open heaven and 
disappears. Her delighted eyes were fastened upon him, and it 
seemed as if she dared not remove them. 

“ It is I,” he said, pressing her to his bosom ; “lam flesh 
and blood, and not a shadow, dear Hannah.” 

“ And here is my brother Christi,” she exclaimed. “ He 
and you, and all is true !” 

“ It is a lie ! Lie and damnation !” groaned Paul Petersen. 
“ This way. Set me free — let me — I will !” 

He endeavored to shake off the guard who held him fast. 
There stood Ilda alongside of the pastor, and Marstrand pub- 
liely kneeled to her before all the people. The long-closed 
heart burst its fetters, and a stream of passionate love gushed 
forth. The cold, reserved, discreet Ilda, embraced his head 


568 


AFRAJA. 


with both her hands ; her tears fell upon his brow, and her lips 
bent towards his. 

“ My dear Ilda,” he exultingly exclaimed, “ I am free ; I am 
at your side 1” 

“ The blessing of God rest upon you ! ” she said. u God’s 
richest blessings, dearly beloved man. I will never leave 
you !” 

Paul Petersen uttered a brute-like howl, and fell down in a 
senseless state. 


CHAPTER XXYI. 

A month afterwards, the investigation was completed at 
Tromsoe, at the conclusion of which, Yoigt Paulsen was sent 
off in a government vessel to Trondheim, where, after being 
imprisoned for some time upon the rocks of Murkholm, he was 
one morning found hanged. His nephew had been called from 
the world sooner than himself. On the second day after the 
arrival of the commission of inquiry, he died, a raving maniac. 
The wound, which had been inflicted upon him by Mortuno, 
hastened his death ; and his dying hours were marked by in- 
tense suffering of mind and body. 

When he was dead, every one endeavored to throw the whole 
burden of his own share of guilt upon him • and even the voigt 
vainly attempted the same perfidy. 

Niels Helgestad had now become perfectly stupid. He was 
carried back to Lyngenfiord, where he was tortured by a dread- 
ful anxiety whenever he beheld Dahlen, although the latter 
endeavored to tranquillize him by the assurance that all should 
be forgiven and forgotten ; while he repeatedly related to him 
the circumstances of his escape in that fearful night. 

He had clung to a fragment of the shattered boat, until ho 


A FRA J A. 


569 


succeeded in scaling the steep precipice of the fiord. He re- 
ceived assistance in the morning, but he lay sick for a long 
time ) and when he at length came to Trondheim, and made a 
confidant of his protector the governor, the latter refused him 
any further aid in his follies. Hannah’s brother Christi, how- 
ever, suddenly made his appearance in the northern capital, in 
search of him. From him he learned Hannah’s condition, and 
at the same time that Fandrem, under the influence of his son, 
had become an entirely changed and repentant man. He was 
even willing to pay the forfeit-money, if he could get his child 
back again ; at the same time, pressing letters of complaint and 
requests arrived from Klaus Hornemann to the governor, be- 
seeching him to send a commissioner to Finnmark, and also 
charging the voigt and secretary in Tromsoe with the worst 
crimes. In a long private letter to his friend the governor, 
Klaus had also discussed the relations of Hannah and Mar- 
strand, had given a description of Helgestad, and expressed the 
fear that the noble-minded and credulous Marstrand would fall 
a victim to the secret intrigues of the voigt and secretary, and 
the avaricious trader who aimed at acquiring possession of the 
Balsfiord. In this letter, Afraja’s history was also unfolded, as 
well as the passion of Bjornarne for Gula; so that the old 
general, when he had read it through, sent for his adjutant, 
and gave it to him to read. “ Forward,” said he, 11 my young 
friend, obtain your bride, tear your friend from the claws of 
the villains, and see what good can be done for him. Above 
all, however, secure for me the base secretary ; bring the fish- 
trader to reason, and procure the reindeer shepherds a humane 
treatment. In two days the expedition will be ready.” 

Dahlen’s warmest wishes were thus suddenly fulfilled, and 
he came at the proper time, at least to set his friend at liberty. 
The two legal officers who accompanied him, were provisionally 
placed at the head of the government, and they issued severe 
decrees and sent reports to Trondheim, from whence their pro- 
positions were despatched to Copenhagen. In the following 
48 * 


570 


AFR A J A. 


year, a decree was issued from the capital, abolishing all the 
old laws concerning idolatry and witchcraft, and abrogating all 
authority for the discovery of truth by means of the rack, or 
any other instrument of torture. On the 29th of March, 1748, 
a royal proclamation was published, forbidding, under severe 
penalties, the casting of reproach upon the Lapps, on account 
of their religious belief and their occupation, as they were 
thenceforth placed on a footing of perfect equality with the other 
subjects of his majesty. 

But of what avail are royal proclamations, when contempt 
has implanted itself in the human heart ! No one can enforce 
esteem ; happy, if he is powerful enough to secure forbearance 
and tolerance. Finnmark received another organization — its 
privileges were changed and restricted — new divisions were 
made — new judges and voigts appointed, taxes were increased, 
and the stubborn malcontents were punished. Many Lapps, 
however, migrated deep into the interior of Sweden with their 
herds, and nothing more was to be seen of Afraja’s great 
property, his animals, and his gammes. 

Long before, however, this happened, on a beautiful autumn 
day, when the sun was beaming upon the black brow of the 
Kilpis, a boat crossed over the Lyngenfiord, and Klaus Horne- 
mann, in the old church, united Ilda and Marstrand, and Hannah 
and Dahlen, in the holy bonds of matrimony. Her brother was 
present, with some officers and friends, and Niels Helgestad 
sat in his chair, smiling and nodding like a child. 

And thus he sat for some years upon the bench before the 
Gaard, looking over the fiord, and occasionally muttering to 
himself, “Would that Bjornarne were here, and that he would 
come soon !” 

Marstrand’s descendants were numerous; and he built a 
great house at Strommen. His name was widely known and 
respected. Honor, consideration, and happiness, he enjoyed in 
abundance. But he could not realize the wealth which Helge- 
stad had promised him out of the Balself. He could extract 


AFRA J A. 


571 


but little profit from tlie wood speculation ; so be finally gave 
it up, and cultivated tbe little valleys of the fiord with greater 
zeal and advantage. 

No one ever found Afraja’s treasures. Many things are told 
of the wonders of the silver-caves in Enare Traesk ; and many 
persons have endeavored to discover them, but always in vain. 

When the pious old pastor returned from his wanderings 
among the gammes, he rested in Lyngenfiord, and left the letter 
which Hannah Dahlen had written from Trondheim. Her 
father was reconciled ; he had verified the boast of her husband, 
for he had led her on his arm into his house, and had even 
gone to the baptism of his first grandson. 

They have all, a long time ago, laid down in eternal rest ; 
the grave has swallowed up both hate and love. When, 
however, as you sail through the labyrinthine sounds and water- 
passes, you may chance to meet a yacht, whose huge sail is 
surrounded by a black border, and you ask the meaning of this 
sign of mourning, the sad story will again spring to life. 

More than an hundred years ago, the pilot will tell you that 
here lived a pious old pastor, who did so much good, that all 
people, rich and poor, adore his memory, and will ever hold him 
in affectionate remembrance. When he died, in their grief and 
woe, they surrounded their sails with a black stripe, and their 
vessels always carry it to this day ; and for hundreds and hun- 
dreds of years will their descendants speak of the venerable and 
good Klaus, and of the deep gloom that settled upon the 
dwellers on the coast, and the roving tribes of the icy deserts, 
when his earthly mission closed, and he was summoned on high, 
to meet a just reward for his good deeds on earth. 


THE END. 


I 






’ 

. j :fV- 2 




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